Dreams
by catey123
Summary: JJ is having dreams about Rossi. When he finds out, how will that change everything about how they see each other? Will they make a go at a relationship? Chapter 21 is M rated, so beware.
1. Chapter 1

JJ Jareau was a woman with an embarrassing problem at this particular moment in time. She was having dreams about a certain co-worker, profiler extraordinaire David Rossi. Which wouldn't be too bad if the dreams weren't of the sexual variety, involving both of them doing things that JJ had not even let Will do to her. Therein lie the problem, because until now, the dreams had only occurred when they were on away trips, away from embarrassing questioning by her bedmate. Tonight was a not a good night in her books, for the first time she'd had one of these dreams while laying next to Will, and her moaning had woken him up, and he in turn had awakened her to find out what was the matter. Shook out of her dreamland, she'd been startled at Will's face above her, and had covered things up by having Will engage in some activities that she'd hoped would take her mind off the man she was dreaming about. That failed abysmally because all their love making resulted in was JJ wishing the man was Dave Rossi, and not the man she was with.

Morning came, and she'd quickly left the house, relieved to escape from Will. However, relief was short lived, as when she arrived at work, she'd arrived at the same time as Dave. They'd shared an elevator to the BAU, JJ concentrating on her feet the entire way, so she didn't look at him. She'd escaped the elevator and hid in her office as soon as she could. She realized she couldn't hide in there forever, but it was better than nothing. Besides, if she locked her door, she could keep him out physically. Short-tempered and frosty the rest of the day, the team had avoided going near JJ as much as possible. And just before noon, JJ got a call that sent the team flying to Washington, to consult on a case, and she knew she was in trouble again. She avoided Rossi on the plane, made sure she rode in the other SUV once they got there, and did everything within her power to never be alone with him. She'd even foregone the team get-together, staying in her room, so she didn't have any extra contact with him. All in all, it made for a very uncomfortable work relationship. She had to figure out how to make things better and fast.

Thinking that maybe she just had an itch to scratch, that if she allowed herself to be seduced by Rossi, that she'd stop dreaming about him, she thought about hitting him up. She didn't think that she'd be turned down, the man had a reputation after all. But she realized she wasn't the kind of girl who did that. Wanting and needing were two different things, and while she may have wanted him, she didn't necessarily need him. With that thought, her brain screeched to a halt. She'd admitted she wanted Rossi. Where the hell did that come from? She asked herself. Then her brain clicked into gear again, and she figured out admitting she wanted another man meant she didn't want the man she was with. She couldn't believe her train of thought. _ What the hell_? She thought to herself. I love Will, don't I love him? We had a baby together, I must love him in some way. She needed to talk to her best friend in the world, Penelope Garcia. She wasn't sure if that would help, but she needed to talk to someone, talking to herself was getting her nowhere. So she quickly dialed her number and was pleased to get ahold of her immediately.

"Penelope, I have a slight problem. Are you there alone, so we can talk?" JJ asked with uncertainty in her voice.

"I'm alone, JJ, Kevin isn't coming tonight. I'm all on my lonesome here. Shoot away, your oracle awaits you!" Garcia replied in her joking tone.

"Pene, I'm serious. I really need to talk, this isn't a joke and I don't know if you can help me or not." JJ croaked into the phone.

"JJ, I'm here for you. I'm being totally serious right now."Garcia spoke, her curiousity on red alert, intrigued by what her best friend might have to tell her.

"Pene, I've got a problem. I've been having these dreams, dreams that would make even you blush. And they do not involve Will. And they've made me realize, I'm not sure I want to be with Will anymore. I don't know what to do about them. I've been having these dreams for over a month now, and last night was the first time I had one while I was in bed with Will. And when I made love with Will, I was wishing it were the other man. Tell me I'm completely insane and have lost it, because I can't do this anymore." JJ almost sobbed into the phone.

Taken aback by JJ's confession, and her curiousity piqued, she asked JJ "Well, who are you dreaming about? A movie star, an athlete, who, who, who? Who would make you question what you have with Will?"

Groaning into the phone, she didn't know if she should admit who her dreams were about. Deciding on a full confession, maybe to get it out of her system, she finally confessed to her best friend. "Dave Rossi."

Stunned into silence, Garcia didn't know what to say. Silence filled the phone lines,until finally JJ asked if she was still on the line.

"I'm here, JJ, I'm just absorbing that little piece of information. Why would you dream about Rossi? Isn't he a little old for you? Not to mention, he's your co-worker. Fraternization policies, you know."

Not exactly the reaction she was hoping for, JJ snapped back "Don't start with me about fraternization policies, little miss boning the other computer tech."

"Put your claws away, kitten, I'm just trying to get used to this. Do you love Will?" Garcia asked her. "Tell me honestly. Don't give me the crap about him being your baby daddy. Do you love him and want to spend the rest of your life with him?"

"I don't know, I don't know. That's just it. I'm so confused. I don't even know I really want Rossi, but I think my mind is telling me that Will is not the one. And I don't know how to tell him goodbye. He gave up everything for me to move to Washington. What am I going to do?"

"First off, you need to tell Will you need a break, time to think things through. If you go on playing Suzy Homemaker and ignoring your brain, you are going to resent him. And if there was ever a chance that you do love Will, it will die, because of that resentment." Garcia said practically.

"Secondly, give yourself some time and space from Rossi. If it's just an infatuation, it will die. If it's more, you will have to explore it in the future. But don't use him as the rebound guy, okay? I mean, sure, he's older, but the guy still has feelings. And you, JJ are not a user. We have the BAU to think about. Whatever you do, don't admit to feeling anything for him. You are just going to have to use your best acting skills and do your job. Do you hear me?" Garcia demanded.

"I hear you Pene, I hear you. But it still doesn't erase the fact that if I ever did get the man alone in a room, I think I'd jump him and have my way with him. Whatever this is, I've got it bad. It's like an itch I can't scratch, and I'm scared of ruining everything all around. Again, what the hell is wrong with me?"

Garcia laughed at that. "Nothing really is the matter with you JJ. I think that maybe your brain is finally up to speed on what your heart has been telling you for a long time. And the dreams are making you face the fact that Will is most likely not the man you want to spend the rest of your life with."

JJ sat there, stunned by what Garcia had told her, and unbelieving of what she'd admitted to her. Finally, she said to Garcia "I can't avoid Rossi all the time. I have a job to do. What do I do about that?"

"Act normal. He's a profiler, girl, get a grip. You show any weakness, anything that may bring attention to the fact you are uncomfortable around him, he's going to close in. And that's the last thing you want."

"You couldn't have told me that earlier? I've been avoiding him like the plague today. He's going to guess something's up!" Panic seeping through the phoneline to Garcia.

"You avoided supper with the gang tonight? Holed up in your room? Go down and act normal, they are more than likely still there. You don't want to give him anything to go on." Garcia practically shooed her off the phone and out the door, to find the gang.

Putting her phone away, she stepped towards the elevators, determined to give the acting job of her life. And hope that the dreams would not disturb her tonight. As it was, she knew she had the uncomfortable task of asking Will for a break once she got back off of this assignment. Things weren't looking pretty for Miss JJ Jareau, and she could blame it all on her dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

JJ headed downstairs, hoping to catch the team in the hotel restaurant. She was in luck, they were still seated around the table, waiting for their order of food. Slipping into the only available seat, she apologized for her lateness, giving an excuse that she'd had to phone Will and check on Henry and hoped that nobody would question her about that. Fortunately, their food had arrived, and JJ put in a quick order of her own. Acting the complete opposite to what she'd been the rest of the day, the team were relieved that JJ seemed to be herself, and not the stranger she'd been throughout the entire day.

Making small talk, and stealing fries off of Reid's plate while she waited for her food to arrive, JJ didn't let her nervousness show through. Every once in awhile, she through glances in the direction of Dave, but he didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. When her order arrived, the team waited for her to eat, before settling up their bill and heading to their rooms. Bidding goodnight to everyone, JJ headed for her room, and hoped everyone thought she was back to her normal self. She quickly changed for bed, but was surprised by a knock on the door. Grabbing her robe, she slipped it on, before looking through the peephole. Surprise and discomfort came over her when she realized it was Rossi on the other side. It wasn't like she could ignore the knock, he knew she was in there. Crap, this day just keeps getting worse and worse, she sighed to herself, before opening the door and letting the object of her dreams into her room. So much for Garcia's idea to keep some distance between them.

"Dave, what are you doing here? I was just settling in for the night. Can't this wait for tomorrow?" JJ replied, trying to hurry him along and out of her room.

"JJ, what is the matter with you today? First you avoid me like crazy, can't even bother to look at me, and then you are all miss happy now? What's going on? What did I do?" Rossi started to grill her.

"Nothings the matter, I'm just having an off day, it's nothing. I swear, Dave, it's nothing. Just some problems I'm having to work out, and I'm not sure I can do it. I promise, I will be fine tomorrow. I was just out of sorts today." JJ pleaded.

"Well, I didn't see you treat Hotch or Reid any differently. Everytime I got anywhere near you today, you were like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. What the hell did I do wrong?" he continued.

"You didn't do anything, Dave. It's me, it's just me. I have a lot of things to figure out." JJ was desperate to get him out of her room.

"JJ, I'm not leaving here without an explanation." Rossi changed tactics then. He changed his tone of voice then. "JJ, you can tell me anything, you know that, don't you? If you need to talk, I'm here for you. Please, tell me what's wrong."

Realizing she was caught up and short of throwing him out of her room, she turned and went to look out the window of her hotel room. He followed behind her, his curiousity driving him to do that.

Finally, JJ spoke, barely above a whisper "I think I want to break up with Will. I just haven't done it yet. But I've come to some realizations lately, that as great a guy Will has been, and all that he's done, that I'm just not sure I love him anymore. I'm just torn, I don't know what to do."

"JJ, as hard as it might be to leave him, if you don't love him, don't stay because of some code of honor that you think you owe him something. Because I can guarantee you, if you are doubting your feelings for him now, and you stay with him, you will eventually resent him. And you won't be able to remember any of the good things about him. I know the feeling, I've been there enough times myself. Lucky for me, I didn't have any children involved. But don't stay because you think Henry needs two parents. Because I guarantee you, when he gets older, he will realize that things are bad between you and Will. And it won't be pretty."

Looking at the older profiler, wondering why he was standing in her room, listening about her private life, she felt the need to get him out of there and fast. Her earlier thoughts about jumping him were increasing, and she already felt awkward enough around him.

"Thanks for the advice, Dave, I'll be sure to remember that. But, I really am tired, I need to get some sleep. My mind just won't turn off lately, especially when we are out on cases. The dreams I've been having are really disturbing." JJ rambled.

"JJ, we've had bad cases before, what's coming up that's haunting your dreams now? Any case in particular?" Rossi asked, curious as to her answer.

"Oh, they are nightmares of a different sort, Dave. Unbelievable one might say. And they wake me up on a nightly basis when we're away from home. The problem is, now they've started to invade my mind when we're at home too. And that's the real problem." JJ let out.

"Anything I can do to help?" he asked her.

Thinking to herself, she thought "Yeah, you could make my dreams a reality, but I can't go there, not by a long shot." Out loud, she said instead "No, Dave, there's nothing you can do. I'll be fine, really, I will. I just need to get some sleep. Again, I'm sorry I let my lack of sleep get the better of me. I'll be my normal self tomorrow, I promise."

Practically pushing him out the door, needing him out of her room now, before she did something she regretted, she almost slammed the door shut behind him. Leaning back against the door, she thought of the man she'd tossed out. One of these times, she wasn't going to throw him out, and wondered what he'd do when he realized she wanted him to stay instead. JJ had no idea how he'd react, but resigned herself to the fact that once she got things sorted out with Will, something would happen with Rossi. If nothing else, to scratch the itch she had that apparently needed scratching, just to see if that's all it was and she'd go back to Will, or find out if something with Rossi was worth pursuing.

Wanting nothing more than to climb into bed and try and rest, instead she phoned Will. She hated to do it, but figured it might be better while she was away from home. She'd never been one for face to face confrontation, hell, she'd even told Will she was pregnant over the phone for god's sake. Separating from him the same way shouldn't be a shock, but she realized it would be. Dialing his number, she heard his familiar voice, and hesitated.

"Hi, Will. How are you doing? Is Henry down for bed yet?" she said in a calm voice.

"I'm fine, honey. Henry's been down for awhile, but I can wake him if you want him to hear your voice." he offered.

"No, no, don't do that, I'm good. I just wondered if he'd been fussy at all. Actually, I phoned because I need to talk with you about something Will. And I don't know how to start, actually."

"What's the matter, JJ? What's wrong? Are you feeling alright? Is the case bothering you?" he fired out different questions.

"Will, please don't hate me, please. I've been doing some thinking lately, and I need some time. I need some time away from you. I just don't know anymore, I think we need to have a trial separation and see how things go." JJ pleaded. She knew this had come out of the blue and he was probably hurt, very hurt. Silence filled the line, as Will absorbed the fact that JJ wanted away from him.

When he finally spoke, there was a lot of pain in his voice, "Why, JJ, why? What changed? What did I do? Haven't I been a good dad? A good boyfriend? What happened?"

"I don't know, Will, I don't. I know that things have changed lately, and you deserve someone who can give you her complete attention. And I know I haven't been able to do that, and I don't think I ever will be able to. It kills me to come out on cases and have you look at me like I'm abandoning you at every chance I get. I know Henry needs me, I do. And I know you do too. But I don't think I'm the one for you." she pleaded.

"I think it's more like you don't think that I'm the one for you." Will hit the nail on the head, precisely.

Figuring it was better to be truthful, JJ agreed with him. "You might be right, Will. That's the problem, I don't know. And I can't ask you to stick around while I try and figure it out. That's why I'm asking for a separation."

"JJ, I don't need a separation. I know I love you. You love me, I know you do. You'll see, you'll see." he pleaded more.

"Will, I need some time. Give me some time. I don't know, I'm confused. I'll move in with Pen for a bit, you can keep the apartment for now. I'll take Henry with me, we'll work all this out. I just ask for you to give me some time." JJ stood firm.

"JJ, I think you're wrong on this. But if this is what you want to do, fine. I'm keeping Henry though, we'll arrange time for you to visit him. I'm around him more than you anyway." he struck back in the only way he knew how, to hurt her like she'd just hurt him.

"Will, Henry needs his mama. I see him so little as it is, please let me take him with me!" JJ begged.

"It's your choice to continue with that damn job, leaving us all the time. If you want to see him, it will be on my terms. We'll talk when you get back from this damn trip you've gone on." and with that he hung up the phone, leaving JJ sobbing on her bed.

Finally crawling between the covers, she cried herself to sleep, and for the first time in a long time, didn't have one of her dreams about Rossi.


	3. Chapter 3

The morning dawned drizzly, making for a miserable day that matched JJ's mood. All this because of dreams that made her doubt how she felt for Will. Was telling him she needed a break the worst thing she could do? Wasn't it unfair to both of them when she herself wasn't sure how she felt about Will? She'd phoned Penelope soon after she awoke, filling her in on the details of the split, and needing a place to sleep once she got back to Quantico. Garcia had clucked like a mother hen, telling her everything would be alright, and promising to go have a chat with Will that might change his mind about letting JJ have Henry. And if talking didn't work, she had other ways of bringing Will around and wasn't afraid to use them. As they chatted, Garcia couldn't help herself, she asked how the other problem was going, the dreams.

"I didn't have one last night, Pen. First time in a month, while we've been on an away case I haven't had one. I think it had to do with the fact I cried myself to sleep last night." she sighed heavily into the phone.

"Angel, it will be alright. I swear to you it will. This will give you some time to figure things out, you know that."

"Could we just not use the word "will" right now? I think I might scream if I hear it again today." JJ said in a forceful tone.

"Whatever you say sugar. I'll talk to you later on, I've got to head into work, you'll probably be needing my services shortly. Talk to you later." With that, Garcia was gone, and JJ got up to ready for the day. Trying to apply makeup to cover the shadows under her eyes, she didn't know if she was too successful, but it was better than nothing. Dressing quickly, she headed down for breakfast, determined to put her personal troubles behind her. Work came first, and concentrating on it might help her through the day.

At breakfast, she tried to participate in the conversation, but found her mind drifting, staring at her food, not paying attention to much of anything at all. The others let her be, but she was aware of one certain profilers eyes on her. Choosing to ignore him, she ate her breakfast and was ready to leave when the others were. Heading to their vehicles, Hotch went ahead with Reid and Morgan, leaving JJ with Rossi and Emily. She could thank god that Emily chose to ride with them, it would keep Dave from questioning her too much. Quiet all the way to headquarters, she escaped the vehicle quickly and set down to work. It was an eventful morning, the latest victim's body had been recovered and there was a report of another missing woman. While the rest of the team split and went to each site, JJ staying behind to work on things there. Everyone was tense at the latest discoveries, and when they finally got a chance, they set out to get some lunch. They invited JJ, but she begged off, preferring to stay and work through at least part of lunch. Her restless night caught up with her however, and she eventually went out to the remaining SUV to catch a nap. Locking herself in, she fell immediately asleep.

The rest of the team arrived back from lunch, and noticed the blond was missing. Rossi had picked her up a sandwich, coffee and some oatmeal cookies that he knew she liked, and had set it down on the desk she'd been using. He was disturbed at her absence, knowing she'd look drained and tired again this morning, not herself at all. He knew she'd promised him she'd be back to normal, but she was even more drained than yesterday. He searched headquarters for her, growing more disturbed as he couldn't find her. Finally, one of the officers volunteered that he'd seen her heading outside about half an hour ago. Rossi raced outside, into the parking lot, and eyeing the black FBI SUV, he raced over to it and looked in the windows. Seeing the sleeping agent laying there, he pounded on the window, trying to get her to wake up, calling her name again and again.

JJ's nap was being interrupted by Rossi calling her name again and again. Seeing as how she was having one of those dreams, it shocked her when the pounding started and she realized that her name being called wasn't part of a dream, but of the real thing trying to get her attention. She sat up, yawning as she did so, and opened the door. Rossi climbed in beside her and shut the door.

"JJ, what the hell? I know it's a police station parking lot, but still, anyone could have came along and seen you sleeping there." his tone betraying how upset he was.

"Dave, it's okay. I was just so tired, and I didn't want to fall asleep at my desk, so I locked myself in here. I was okay, I promise." JJ didn't want to argue and tried to deflect the angry profiler.

"It's not safe. If you ever need time like this again, let me know. I'll sit with you while you sleep, but please, don't do this again."

"Why, Mr. Rossi, I didn't know you cared." JJ smiled when she said this.

"Do you care to tell me why you are so fragile looking today?" he questioned her.

"Not that it is any of your business, but it does have to do with what we talked about last night. I phoned Will and told him I needed a break from us. He didn't take it well. Not at all. He wants to keep Henry and give me very little contact with him. I cried most of the night, I'm the one who wanted the separation, and now, he's making me pay for it." At that, JJ almost teared up again. She continued though "Penelope was going to go talk to him after work tonight, try to reason with him on my behalf. I'm going to be staying at her place when we get back home. She threatened to make his life miserable if he didn't agree to some better arrangement."

"It'll be okay, JJ, it will. Just remember, if you ever need to talk, I'm here. I know I'm not as close to you as any of the others, but I like to think we've become friends in my time here. If I'd known how upset you were last night, I would have stayed so you could have a shoulder to cry on. Did you get any sleep at all?"

"Some, but it wasn't good. At least I didn't have the dumb dreams I've been having. First time on an away trip I haven't had one. Of course, it came back when I had my nap here. I can't win for losing." a frustrated JJ related.

"Have you had anything to eat since breakfast, JJ? I brought you a sandwich and coffee. There was a bakery beside the restaurant, and I seen some oatmeal cookies I thought you might like. It's all in on your desk. Do you want to go in and grab a bite to eat?" Rossi felt for the young FBI agent, he knew separations were hell, and using your child against you was just plain nasty. He gave JJ a quick hug around the shoulders, and they got out of the vehicle to head inside.

Although JJ and him had butted heads from time to time, they did seem to have an understanding with each other. Both had left the BAU, him for an infinetly longer period of time than her, but both had come back. They seemed to have an understanding of each other that belied their age difference and experiences. Honestly, the whole team had gelled so much better than ever since she'd come back from maternity leave, and she was glad to have this man on her side. They walked side by side into the building, she seen the sandwich and set upon it immediately. She hadn't been that hungry at breakfast, but she was surprised that Rossi had gotten her favorite sandwich, chicken salad, with pickles on the side. Her coffee was even done the way she liked it. The oatmeal cookies were terrific. She thanked Rossi profusely, and offered to pay him for lunch. He declined, saying it was on him. She smiled at him and finished off the last cookie he'd brought her. Rossi left her then, glad to see JJ return to some semblance of herself.

The rest of the day rushed past, they finally had a lead, the killer had messed up in kidnapping the latest victim, and had left behind a clue that had led directly to him. It turned out the killer was the husband of the first vic, had committed the other murders to throw the authorities off the fact that he'd killed his wife. 4 women, including the latest victim whom they'd arrived too late to save had died to cover the fact he didn't want a divorce and lose his money. Cases like this disheartened the team a lot. They liked to think they would be there in time to save at least someone from these crimes, but they hadn't this time. They were going to fly straight back, but given how late it was when they finally wrapped things up, they went back to the hotel instead.

JJ headed straight up to her room, praying that sleep would overtake her fast, and her mind would just stop it with the dreams tonight. She didn't need it, she really didn't. She had no idea where she'd go tomorrow when they arrived back at Quantico. She had to check in with Garcia first, find out if she'd had any progress on getting Will to change his mind, but that could wait til morning. All she wanted to do was climb between the sheets and forget about the last 48 hours of her life. When she finally did drift off, her mind ignored her pleadings, and the dream started up, made all the more real by the fact that Rossi had had his arm around her this afternoon. She remembered the smell of his cologne, the stubble of his beard. All in all, this dream was the most shattering to her, down to the way he'd called her name this afternoon. However, this was also the first time the dream did not wake her up, her mind merely enjoyed this dream, and when she awoke in the morning, she felt better than she had in a long time. It may not be right, but she knew she was going to eventually do more than have the dreams about the man. Maybe not right now, but eventually. And god help her, she didn't care.


	4. Chapter 4

JJ had no idea that the case would stretch out another two days before they managed to wrap it up. Although they had caught the killer, the fallout over not catching him in time, before the latest victim had died, had postponed their trip home. Every skill she had as a media liaison had been called into play, and she was soon exhausted. In constant contact with Penelope, she'd learned that Will wasn't budging on anything, so when they did wrap things up and head for home, she had no idea what to do. She wanted to see her baby, hold him in her arms, but Will was being stubborn about it. She'd tried to phone and reason with him, but he was refusing her phone calls. JJ managed to keep a semblance of normalcy at work, at least so that nobody would notice anything was wrong with her. She was wrong on that point, one person did notice she'd changed somewhat, but he also knew what was wrong with her, to a certain extent. Rossi kept a close eye on her, trying to help her along, making sure she was okay. When they were finally ready to get out of this town, it was a late night flight. Most of the team had fallen asleep on the plane, but JJ had stayed up. She didn't know what to do when she got back to Quantico. She had no apartment to go to, she didn't want to show up on Garcia's doorstep, even though that was the original plan. She wanted her son, to hold him, and it wasn't going to happen. To numb some of the pain she was feeling, JJ had purchased a bottle of whiskey to drink on the flight. With everyone else asleep, she drank without fear of being caught, drowning her sorrows in the whiskey. Normally, she wasn't a drinker, especially after she'd had Henry, but she just hurt so bad at that moment, she didn't care.

When the flight got close to Washington, the others stirred, waking up so they could prepare to depart. JJ giggled to herself, which attracted the attention of a certain profiler, who got up and then sat down beside her.

"You've been having a little party here, by yourself, JJ?" Dave asked her, concern in his voice.

"Just trying to forget the fact that I have no idea where to go when I get off of this plane. I want to see my son, but that's not happening. I'm not up to being grilled by Garcia, so I'm not ready to face her yet. She's a sweetheart, I know she's been trying to help me, but she is the Grand Inquisitor." JJ kept giggling. She stopped and held her finger to her lips "ssssh, I don't want everyone to know how much I've had to drink.". She then hiccuped and burst out into giggles again.

Seeing JJ in this state was a surprise to Rossi. He'd never seen her take more than one drink, no matter where they were, and she was plastered here. Deciding he'd take care of her, make sure she got somewhere safely, and not abandon her at the airport, he reached over and buckled her up as they prepared to land. She giggled at him doing that, but didn't object. Once they did land, Rossi let everyone else depart the plane first, preferring to deal with an inebriated JJ on his own. He didn't want the team to see her in this shape, and them being tired had stopped the rest from really noticing that JJ wasn't in great shape. Unbuckling her seatbelt now, he tried to get her to stand, but she was a wobbly drunk. Shouldering two ready bags and hoisting JJ up to help her walk, she went willingly with him. They stumbled out of the airport, and he helped her into his vehicle. Deciding to just take her to his house, rather than trusting her to be okay by herself in some hotel, he set off for home.

It took about twenty minutes til he pulled into his garage. He shut the vehicle off, and turned to his passenger, who had spent the last twenty minutes alternating between giggling and oohing and awing at the "pretty lights" as she referred to everything. Dave opened the back door and grabbed the ready bags that were sitting there. Unlocking his house door, he dropped the bags inside and turned the lights on. Returning to the vehicle, JJ sat there still, quiet for now. Opening the passenger door, he lifted her up in his arms, not trusting her to walk up the steps by herself. It hadn't gone well coming down the steps of the airplane, so he preferred to do it this way. Inside the house, he briefly set her down on the kitchen counter, so he could turn and lock the door. Big mistake, as he had to rush and catch her before she tumbled off of there. He was right on that point, she was in no condition to be by herself.

Gathering her in his arms again, he headed upstairs, he had a guest room she'd be fine in for the night. All the way up the stairs, she alternated between giggling and singing, until suddenly she turned to him and said "The great David Rossi carrying me. Whatever shall he do with me?" and then bursting into a fit of giggles again. He opened the guest room door and went to deposit her on the bed. He tried, but JJ's arms snaked around his hair, and the next thing he knew, she was pulling him in for a deep kiss. At first he resisted, but eventually gave in, returning the kiss. He tasted the whiskey on her lips, as she kissed him with a deep intensity. And then suddenly, JJ became like an octopus, hands everywhere, pulling on his clothes and he almost gave in, before his mind put things to a screeching halt. She was drunk, plain and simple. He would not take advantage of JJ in this state, and have her regret it in the morning. He grabbed her hands to stop her, pulling back from the kiss.

"JJ, no, we can't do this. We can't." he stated simply.

"Why not, Mr. Profiler? I'm a woman, you're a man, I want you, why can't we do this?" she purred.

"Because, when I take a woman to my bed, it's not going to be one who is drunk to the gills and may not remember it in the morning. I have no idea if you really want this or it's the alcohol talking."

JJ looked at him for a minute, then stated "Spoilsport. You're so much more fun in my dreams." turned over and passed out.

Rossi sat there, looking at the woman lying on the bed. Her words finally connected in his brain, she'd been dreaming about him. HIM. And he knew she'd been having trouble with dreams lately, dreams that kept her up. Stunned, he put two and two together. It still didn't add up. "_Why the hell would she dream about me?" _he questioned himself. He also realized the nature of her dreams, and that made him blush. Standing up, he put JJ under the covers and then left the room, leaving the door ajar. He walked downstairs and fixed himself a very large glass of scotch.

It explained a lot of things, but he had no idea if she simply was focusing on him as a way out of a relationship, or if she truly did want to pursue something with him. It had taken a lot of courage for her to tell Will she was not sure about them, that was certain. And she hadn't cheated and used that as a way out either. Rossi was confused. The woman upstairs had certainly been willing, and he could have had his way with her, but he couldn't, not to JJ. She was confused right now, hurting because of her son. Rossi made a decision then and there. He'd always held an attraction for the younger woman, but her relationship with Will had kept him from doing anything about it. He'd been cheated on, he was not going to be a cheater. But, since she obviously was attracted to him in some fashion, and he figured that Will had a snowball's chance in hell of getting her back after the way he'd acted over the separation, Rossi made the decision to court JJ. If she was willing, he was going to take some time to get to know her, and then maybe, the day would come where he'd entertain the idea of what had happened tonight again. But for now, he realized she had a world of hurt in her, and he was not going to take advantage of that. He cared for her too much to see her hurt anymore.

Tired now, after the long days away, he headed for his shower and prepared for bed. He had some phonecalls to make in the morning, and had already discussed with Hotch about not coming in til noon. From past experience, he knew that JJ was going to have a hell of a hangover in the morning, and would need awhile to get up and running. Plus, any fallout from their kiss, if she even remembered it might bring another round of drinking on. And drunk JJ was not an always pretty sight. And while he settled into bed, he wondered if JJ, even in her drunken state, would have these dreams she'd been having. Because he was pretty certain that his dreams would be haunted tonight also.


	5. Chapter 5

Morning came way too soon for Rossi. As he expected, his sleep had been troubled, the revelation that JJ had been dreaming about him had kept him tossing and turning most of the night. He actually was still stunned that JJ Jareau was dreaming about him. Unbelievable. He'd given up thinking he had a chance with her when it was revealed she was pregnant with Will's baby. They'd begun to get closer after she'd returned from maternity leave, and was actually quite pleased that he'd apparently influenced JJ to become an FBI agent. Still, on some levels he knew it was wrong to go ahead and try to win her heart, she could still turn back to Will, although he doubted it. Getting up, and making his way to his office, he placed a call to his lawyers. He thought he'd help JJ with custody, at least make it somewhat favorable to her. Will couldn't deny her seeing her own child, and helping JJ out was the right thing to do. Having done that, he went to the kitchen, and made up his own special hangover concoction. Writing a note to JJ to drink this when she got up, he also grabbed two Tylenol and a bottle of water. He went back upstairs to the guest room, where the blond was still passed out on the bed. The covers were thrown back, and her shirt had ridden up somewhat while she slept, revealing her creamy skin, and he couldn't help but look. Shaking his head at himself, he set his delivery on the bedside table, covered her again, and headed to his room to shower.

A couple of hours later, up in the guest room, JJ started to stir. Coming out of her alcohol induced slumber, she looked around the room, the bright sun hurting her eyes. She threw the covers back over her head to block the sun, then threw them off again.

"WHERE THE HELL AM I?" was her first coherent thought in many hours. Getting up, she stumbled out of bed, and noticed the Tylenol and some strange liquid on the bedside table. Seeing the note sitting beside it, she grabbed it and quickly read it.

_JJ, the drink is a hangover cure, I swear by it. From the amount you had to drink last night, I think you'll need it. The Tylenol is for the headache I know you'll have. Dave_

Well, she guess that answered where she was, in Dave Rossi's house, obviously his guest room. Why she was there was another story, but she guessed it had to do to the fact she'd been drunk out of her gourd the night before. Thinking about it almost made JJ sick. This was why she didn't drink a lot, she thought to herself.

Then another thought occurred to her. She didn't remember getting off the plane last night, had no idea how she'd ended up here. Add to that, she had no memory of making it to this room, or anything she might have said or did, she started to panic just a little. Between the headache, hangover and the worry now she had about whether her secret was still safe, she felt even more sick than she had originally. Standing up, she looked in the mirror, and almost jumped back. She looked awful. Her makeup had smeared, her hair was everywhere. Turning back, she grabbed the concoction and drank it in one gulp, grimacing the entire time. Taking the Tylenol as well, she grabbed her ready bag that Dave had left on the bench in the room, and headed for the bathroom. She needed a shower in the worst way.

Finishing the shower, JJ wrapped a towel around herself, and instead of getting dressed, found her pajamas and bathrobe, putting them on instead. She wondered out of the guestroom, gawking as she went. The man's home was magnificent, beautifully decorated. It was also huge. Walking down a set of winding steps, she made her way though the foyer, searching for the kitchen. She needed coffee to get going, and her headache was starting to subside. She figured Dave would have a pot brewing, and set out to find it.

Entering his kitchen, once again, it was huge, beautifully constructed. And there sat the missing profiler, sitting at his kitchen table, looking through some papers, and obviously engrossed in it.

Not wanting to scare him, JJ finally spoke, a thin "Hello" coming out of her.

Looking up, Rossi smiled. "Good morning, JJ. How are you feeling?" He was trying to be nice, but he was also somewhat amused. It was strange seeing JJ Jareau not in control of herself, and the memory of last night lingered for him.

"I feel like I got run over by a bus. This is why I shouldn't drink. At least not as much as I did last night. My head feels like it's going to explode." she plunked down beside him after helping herself to a cup of coffee.

"Well, you certainly weren't in any shape to be left alone last night. You said you had no place to go, so I brought you here."

"Thanks Dave, I could have hit up Garcia, but I don't know. I normally love her, but my mood was a bit down for her. She's so animated and cheerful, I'm not sure one of us would have come out alive last night." she joked.

"JJ, it's my pleasure. I don't mind helping you out. You needed it last night."

"I know, Dave, I know. I'm used to taking care of myself, I can't believe I got myself in a mess like this. I really don't know where to stay."

"I wanted to talk to you about that JJ. Forgive me if this is too much, but I have a house here in town, one that has been recently renovated, I'm going to resell it soon. I'd like to offer it to you and Henry until you get back on your feet."

"I don't know, Dave. I don't have Henry. I don't even know when I'll get to see him." tears started to well up in her eyes again.

"That's another thing, Jen. I spoke to my lawyers, and they've contacted Will already. We've arranged a 50/50 split with you and Will, and Will has most graciously accepted this offer. Again, sorry if I've been too forward, but I've never seen you hurt as much as you have this week. I hated seeing that, especially when I know you love Henry as much as you do."

Stunned, all JJ could do was stare at him. _Why was Rossi helping her out so much?_she thought to herself. Finally finding her voice, she asked him "Why would you do that, Dave? I can't afford the kind of attorneys you have. I'm not sure how I'm going to repay you. Plus, I still have another 3 months on my lease of the apartment with Will, I don't know how I'm going to pay it and you for rent."

Dave held up his hand. "Not to worry, JJ, not to worry. I did this to help you, that's all. Consider the house a loaner for now, til your lease is up. If you want to move by then, go ahead. And as for my attorneys, that's on me too. You take your time paying me back, I don't care how long it takes. If it gets you to your son again, that's all I want to see."

All JJ could do was stare at Rossi. She finally caved, accepting her good fortune in having a friend like Dave. "Thank you, Dave, thank you. You really are looking out for me, aren't you? I have to ask why, though."

"JJ, just accept that I want to help you. You are a friend, and seeing you so disheartened hurts. I hope I've been able to help you in some way. All I ask in return is that once you are settled into the house, you have me over for a meal. I don't get a lot of chances for that, and I'd love to see Henry. I haven't seen him very much over the last few months." Dave managed to smoothly get a chance to spend more time with JJ with that request.

"Sure, Dave, it's the least I can do. I really think I need to lay down again, I feel awful. Your hangover cure isn't working yet." she grimaced. "Before I go, I need to ask you a couple of things. Did I do or say anything embarrassing when we got here last night? The last thing I remember is being helped off the plane. I don't even remember ending up in bed."

Dave looked at her calmly. He had a spark of disappointment when it became obvious that JJ didn't remember the kiss, but in a way, it worked to his advantage. He could work on a relationship with her, and she wouldn't be freaked out by jumping him like she did. Taking a calculated risk, he lied to JJ.

"You didn't do anything I would call embarrassing. You do like to sing though. A lot. And you can't sit on counters when you're drunk, you like to almost swandive off of them. But other than that, after I helped you upstairs, you passed out. I was going to make you more comfortable, but it wasn't really my place to do that. So don't worry. No embarrassment."

JJ looked at him, he looked like he was being honest, but she had a feeling that Dave had not told her the whole truth. She shook off the niggling feeling and got up, taking her coffee with her. "Well, that's good then. What time do we have to be at work? I've slept part of the morning away, do we have to be in by noon?"

Dave got up from his chair and approached her. "Actually, I talked to Hotch, we're taking the day for personal time, everyone. We're going to help you get whatever you need from your apartment, and Garcia is going to get Henry for you. It's your time with the little tike. So, rest up, you shall see your son shortly."

Whirling around, JJ enveloped Rossi in a hug. "Thank you, thank you! I can't believe I get to see my baby today! The way Will spoke, I wouldn't be seeing him any time soon. Dave, thanks so much!"

"My pleasure, sweetheart, my pleasure." he hugged her back, not wanting to let go, but realizing he should. He took a step back from her, his arms dropping to his sides.

JJ left then, racing to "her" room. Her hangover still bothered her, but getting to see Henry today lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. Rossi ran through her mind once again, his acts of kindness towards her lifting her spirits considerably. As much as she had wanted to avoid thinking about Rossi, what he had done warmed her considerably, enough for her to realize she wanted something more with him. Her dreams had pushed her this far, she had to figure out how to act on them now, not realizing she already had.


	6. Chapter 6

Giving the team credit, they never blinked as they started to help JJ move stuff out of her apartment. They didn't ask what happened between her and Will, they simply supported her, doing what they could to help her. JJ cried a few times as she packed up her life from the apartment. She left the majority of the baby stuff there, deciding to just go buy some new stuff, Henry was going to need two sets now with his parents not together. Packing the little black leather jacket Garcia had bought him, she held it to her and teared up again. Rossi chose that moment to come into the room, and she quickly wiped the tears away and continued packing.

"You doing okay? What do you need me to do in here, I'm all yours." he tried to be cheerful for her, knowing she was taking this very hard, even though the decision to part had been hers.

"I'm fine, Dave, I am. Don't worry about me, it's just so final. I don't know how you convinced Will to change his mind, but I'm glad you did. It's hard to pack up 3 years of my life, that's how long I've lived here. Garcia's packing my clothes, Morgan is being a sweetheart. He really has no clue about why I'm leaving Will. But he's like a big brother, trying to take care of me. Reid just keeps spouting facts about couples who experience a separation and the odds they'll get back together. Hotch kept me from killing him, but I think he wanted to take a swing at him." JJ mumbled.

"JJ, I want you to know, you need anything, I'm here for you. Anything. I just want you to be happy." Dave had the sweetest look on his face, telling her that.

JJ reached her hand up and cupped his cheek, stroking it with her thumb."You really are the sweetest man, you know that? I'll never be able to look at you as a hard-nosed profiler again. You're a big softie under all that swagger."

Taking his chances, Dave reached up and captured her hand, bringing her fingers to his lips. "You're tougher than you think, JJ. You'll pull through this. Let's get you moved, and blow this joint."

The door to the room started to open, Dave dropped her hand, disappointed they'd been intruded upon. It was Garcia, she had JJ's clothes packed, and wanted to know what else was to come with them. Rossi and JJ followed Garcia back to what had been JJ's room. Rossi almost didn't feel right entering there, but did anyway. JJ saved him momentarily, sending him downstairs for some boxes to continue packing. This left Garcia with time for a little gossip, trying to pry stuff out of JJ.

"Does Rossi know anything about your little problem? He's acting all weird around you. Not to mention, he solved your big problems with Will that no amount of persuasion on my part could budge Will."

"No, he doesn't know. I went and got myself plastered on the plane ride home last night, thinking I had nothing to come home to. Dave felt bad for me, and took it upon himself to help me. He's a terrific friend. Nothing more." Under her breath she added "At least not yet."

"What was that, gumdrop? I didn't seem to here the last part about you wanting to be more than friends." Garcia giggled. JJ couldn't reply, as just then, Dave arrived back in the room with boxes.

"Show us what you want packed, JJ. Let's get this show on the road." Dave was impatient to be out of there, away from any trace of the man that had been JJ's lover for so long. He wanted her into the new home, and fast. Which, he considered, was ridiculous on his part, because JJ was far from his. He just didn't want her changing her mind about the separation and ending up back with Will.

They hustled along, and got most everything packed and out into the vehicles in good time. Heading over to JJ's new place, Rossi handed her the key to the front door and told her it was all hers. Smiling that gorgeous smile at him, she thanked him again. The home was in an excellent neighborhood, and she realized it was only a few blocks from Dave's house. That thrilled her and she didn't know quite why.

Arriving at the house, JJ got out of the vehicle and all she could do was stare. _This_ was a fixer-upper? And he was just handing her the keys to use this place til she got back on her feet? It was a spectacular house, gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. Opening the front door, she opened it up and stepped inside, the rest of the team following close behind. It was magnificent inside too, tastefully decorated in a neutral way, and partially furnished, apparently to help with selling it later on. She couldn't believe her luck, and the team started making comments too.

"Geez, Dave, any time you want to give me a house to live in for awhile, I'll be standing in line!" Morgan joked.

"Morgan, anytime, my man, anytime." Rossi played the good friend, showing that he cared for everyone on the team, trying to not make it appear obvious he was doing this for more than just needing to get JJ out of a jam.

"Dave, where were you after my divorce? This would have been a great place to hole up." Hotch even joked. He didn't like talking about the divorce very much, but obviously was comfortable enough to joke in this instance.

And so it went, the team walking from room to room checking things out. They headed back out to the vehicles and started bringing boxes in, setting things up. Everything was finished before too long, and the exhausted team flopped down in the living room. Dave surprised everyone again, when the doorbell rang, and it was several pizzas and drinks he'd taken the liberty of ordering. As they sat around eating, JJ holding her son to her, she watched the team, thinking about them. Of course, she started to tear up again, holding her son even closer to her. The team noticed the tears, and although she tried to shake them off, she finally admitted she didn't know what to do with her good fortune in having such wonderful friends and coworkers. She thanked them all for helping today, it had been hard, but they got it done.

Pretty soon, it was getting late, and the team started to disperse. JJ hugged each of them as they left, and thanked them once again. Soon it was only Rossi and her, and he didn't seem inclined to leave quite yet. They sat on the couch again, and started talking, JJ still holding Henry in her arms.

"Why did you do this Dave? How did you get everyone organized so fast? The whole team was wonderful today. I'm blessed to have friends like this, I really am."

"JJ, those people love you. They would do anything to help you out, just like I have. You couldn't ask for a better group of friends. They are more like family."

"I know Dave, I know. And I need them now more than ever. I was so glad to finish at that apartment today. I have to go shopping for Henry tomorrow, I have to buy a crib and a few other things, but he can sleep in the playpen in my room tonight. I missed him so much, I don't mind, I just want him near me."

JJ was surprised at the ease she could talk with Rossi. He sat and absorbed all she had to say. They talked for another half hour about various things, and JJ asked him to dinner on the weekend, as payback for helping her so much. She hadn't forgotten the promise to provide a meal for him. Getting up, and getting ready to head out, JJ followed Dave to the door, after setting Henry in his car seat temporarily. She was actually disappointed to see him leave, but realized it had been a long day, and tomorrow was back to work. Stopping at the door, she reached in to hug Dave, which he returned. His next move surprised her though, when he pulled back from the hug, he reached in once more and kissed her cheek. With that, he said his goodbye and made his way out the door. JJ shut the door behind her, and leaned back up against it, touching her cheek where his lips had been. _Damn_, she thought to herself, _if that isn't ammo for one of my dreams tonight, I don't know what is. _ His lips had been soft against her cheek and she found herself wishing it had been more than her cheek he'd kissed. Sighing, she walked back to where her son was, scooped him up and proceeded to get him ready for bed. After he was down for the night, she padded through the house, doing things here and there, delaying going to bed herself. But she was tired, and work was tomorrow, so eventually gave in and headed up, knowing it was going to be one of those nights. And just before she drifted off, she had one thought, the hope that Mr. Rossi, in his bed was having dreams of her, just like she was having of him.


	7. Chapter 7

JJ was up early the next day. Getting used to the routine of being alone once again was going to take some getting used to. Will and her had shared the morning routine of taking care of Henry, and this was her first taste of it alone. Puttering around what was now her home, she couldn't believe Dave was just letting her use it. Of course, she'd have to start paying him some rent, but for now, she breathed a little sigh of relief. She thanked her guardian angel, as she now thought of him. This last trip had certainly helped her come to terms with the fact that she did, indeed, want to pursue a relationship with the profiler. And she thought she was reading her signals right, that kiss on the cheek last night seemed to indicate that Dave felt the same way, and might be receptive to starting something up. She got the feeling he wanted to ask her out, on a real date, but was holding back. She had it figured it had to do with the fact that the breakup with Will was fresh, and he would be overstepping his bounds, asking too soon. But, as she finished dressing Henry and settled down to feed him his breakfast, JJ had the thought that if Mr. Rossi didn't ask her out, and soon, she'd take matters in to her own hands, and ask him. If he said no, so be it. If he said yes, it could be the beginning of something great, in her opinion.

As she'd anticipated while leaning against her door last night, her dreams were pleasantly tortured by the kiss he'd pressed to her cheek as he left. His lips were soft, his moustache tickling her cheek when he'd bent in for the kiss, she'd dreamed of him kissing her elsewhere with that wonderful mouth. Shaking the thoughts off, she finished feeding Henry, and settled him into his playpen, so she could get dressed for work. She felt a need to get there, and at least be able to be near Dave. With Henry downstairs in the daycare, she felt good that things were finally coming under control again. Nothing was perfect, but things were certainly better than she'd anticipated this week as being. Picking her son up again, she cuddled him, reluctant to put him into his car seat. After work, she planned on going shopping for some new baby products for him, and she hoped he wouldn't be too cranky at the end of the day.

Setting out for work, JJ arrived there in good time, and she teared up somewhat. This was Henry's first time in daycare, and it almost broke her heart, leaving him with a stranger. She straightened up as she realized she was just going to have to get used to. She really wasn't going to get to spend much time with her son anymore, and that sobered her up. When he wasn't with Will, and she was working, he'd be in daycare. Her precious time with her son would be short from now on, and she wanted to make it count. Giving Henry a goodbye kiss, she left, only looking back once. Henry wasn't as broken up as she was, but such was life. The boy was probably used to his mama not being around, JJ beat herself up with that. Getting on the elevator, she punched the button for the floor the BAU was on, and prayed that the trip up would be quick and she could get to her office with a minimum of fuss. Luck was against her though, the elevator stopped on the main floor, and on stepped Rossi and Hotch. She smiled at both of them, scooching over as more people got on the elevator. Dave's arms was pressed against her, and his touch made her stomach do flip-flops.

When they finally arrived at their destination, she headed for the coffee machine, in dire need of a caffeine jolt. Dave was right behind her, she discovered, as he reached for a coffee cup as well. Smiling, she poured his coffee as well as hers. When they both reached for a sugar packet, their fingers touched, and to her, it felt like a jolt of electricity hit her. She pulled her fingers back, glancing at Dave. He thanked her for pouring his coffee then, and both took a sip, JJ grimacing a little.

"It's definetely not as good as what you made yesterday morning." JJ smiled up at him.

"Well, they don't use my special brew here, do they?" he joked back.

"Do you have special concoctions for everything, Rossi?"

"You'll learn in time, sweetheart, I have and can do many special things." his voice in a whisper almost, not wanting others to hear what he was saying.

JJ just stared at him, she may have been out of practice at this, but the man was flirting with her, out here, in front of everyone. Playing his game, she retorted "I have a few special things you might want to check out in the future too. They might surprise you."

With that, she left him standing there, staring after her as she walked up to her office. A smile came across his lips, and he thought to himself "Well, I do believe the lady is asking me to play her game. And I'm going to take her up on it." Dave refilled his coffee mug, and headed to his office, thinking about the lovely lady and their upcoming dinner date. He decided that at the conclusion of the supper he'd basically invited himself to, that he'd ask JJ out on a proper date. He intended to show up prepared for supper on Saturday night, and prove to JJ that he could be a proper gentleman.

Things remained quiet for the morning, not much going on, JJ catching up on all the paperwork that had come from the last case. Never her favorite thing to do, she worked her way through it, wanting to put this case behind her. Not only had it ended badly for the team, the case had also signified the end of her relationship with Will, and she just wanted anything to do with it done and over with. Not noticing the time, working constantly, she had no idea that 3 hours had passed until she heard a knock on her door. "Come in" she called out, and the door opened to Prentiss, asking if she wanted to go for lunch.

"Lunch, really? I had no idea it was time for that yet." JJ looked up, confused.

"Well, we haven't seen you since you came in here, do you want to come out of your cave and join us?"

"Who's "us"?" JJ questioned.

"Morgan, Reid, and I. Are you interested?"

"Ah, no, I'm just going to work through lunch and get this case file out of the way. I don't want to stay late tonight, I'm going to go baby shopping after work. If anything, I'll just slip down and see Henry soon, grab something from the vending machine. I'm fine, but if I give you some money, will you get me one of those oversized oatmeal cookies I love?"

"Sure, JJ, but forget it, I'll just get you the cookie. Are you sure you won't change your mind?"

"No, I just want to forget this case, Emily, and I can't do that til the paperwork is filed. I just want it out of my way." JJ regretted turning her down, but she seriously wanted to get done. Waving goodbye, Emily shut the door, leaving JJ to her paperwork. Watching her leave, JJ wondered to herself if she might have changed her mind if Rossi had been going with them, and realized that, yes, she would have. She then berated herself for that, figuring it shouldn't matter if Rossi had been with them or not. She looked out her window and seen him, walking with Hotch, casefile in hand, obviously discussing something of importance. Shaking her head at herself, she felt like a teenager with a crush, waiting to catch a glimpse of the boy she was crushing on. Although she was pretty sure she'd never had the dreams about any boy she'd liked in high school like she was having for Rossi. But she was definetly crushing very hard on the man.

Turning back to her paperwork, JJ finally finished it. Lunch hour was done and over with, but figuring she deserved a break, she headed for the elevator, taking it down to the daycare. She walked in, and asked to see her son, this was how she was going to spend her break. Sitting down on the floor with him, she cuddled him close. Twenty minutes passed far too quickly, and she reluctantly handed her son over to the daycare worker and left. Going to her office, she seen the oatmeal cookie she'd requested from Emily sitting on her desk. Beside it though, she seen a cup of coffee and a chicken salad sandwich, from one of those specialty places, the very expensive kind. She knew that Emily had only been slipping out to a small restaurant near here, and knew that the restaurant wasn't near where this particular coffee place was. She left her haven and ventured back out, determined to find who left her the coffee and thank them. Given that Emily had went to lunch with Morgan and Reid, that most likely counted them out. She headed to Garcia's abode, wondering if she'd headed out and about, but when she arrived there she knew almost immediately it wasn't her that had delivered a coffee and sandwich.

"Did you bring me one?" Garcia chirped.

"Bring you one what?" JJ asked.

"A coffee, my little gumdrop. You know I love that place, did you bring me one?"

"Ah, no, Pen, I was coming to ask if you brought me one, actually. It was sitting on my desk when I got back from visiting Henry."

"Darn, I could use a cup of the good stuff." Garcia huffed.

"Well, I just want to thank whoever it was that gave it to me, and since it wasn't you, I'm back on my hunt. See you, Penelope." JJ turned around and left, leaving a curious Garcia in her wake.

Heading back upstairs, JJ realized that with Garcia eliminated, that left Hotch or Rossi. She didn't know why, but she was convinced it was Rossi, so taking a gamble, she headed to his office. Knocking on the door, she heard a come in, and walked in. Holding the coffee up, to direct his attention to it, she asked "Did you leave me those little surprises in the office?"

"JJ, I seen you didn't go for lunch. Hotch and I went to this great little place, and I know how you like your coffee. I remember you sandwich choice, because how long have we worked together now? You needed something to get through the rest of the day, and you always look after everything else before yourself. So, I brought you a little something."

"Dave, thanks, I appreciate it. And it's even the good coffee we were discussing this morning."

"I seem to recall the conversation about good coffee and surprises, so I aim to please." he smiled at her.

JJ's knees weakened a little at being smiled at like that. "You keep me supplied in coffee like this, you have no idea what I'd do for you." she smile flirtatiously at him.

"Oh, if that's what it takes, I'll keep you supplied for awhile in the good stuff." he grinned at her. "What would you like me to bring for supper on Saturday night? Are we still on for that meal?"

"You don't have to bring anything, Dave, I'm good. Just bring yourself and be there by six." and then she gave him one of her smiles, turned and left.

He watched her go, almost groaning as she did. The way she walked was enough to turn him on, but that wasn't part of the plan he had. This was to go slow, build her trust in him. At times, the little flirtation they had going was almost killing him. He had no idea whether or not she knew what she was doing to him. Her lips from the other night on him had haunted his sleep, he'd tossed and turned for the better part of the night. Last night, he'd kissed her cheek when leaving her place, and she'd looked shocked when he had done so. Not in a bad way, because if it was anything he was good at, he could read a woman's face. She'd actually looked disappointed that it hadn't been more. So he felt that he was on the right track with her, and intended to keep at it. And god help him if anything stood in his way.


	8. Chapter 8

Work passed swiftly on Friday, everything surprisingly normal for the BAU. No big cases that required immediate attention, just everyone doing their job, waiting to get out of there for the weekend. JJ had gone shopping the night before, buying new baby stuff, and it was being delivered Saturday morning, so she had her weekend planned out ahead of her. Lots to do, in little time, but at least she didn't have to worry about assembling the furniture. She'd paid the extra money to have it pre-assembled, so not to have to worry about doing it herself, or getting her friends to help her. Not that that was a bad thing, but at times, she felt like she'd imposed on them enough. However, she did need to ask Garcia for help on one thing more, so not too long before the end of work, JJ slipped over to visit Penelope in her office. Entering her lair, JJ approached her best friend at the BAU, needing a small favor.

"Pen, are you busy on Sunday?" JJ asked.

Looking up, not seeing JJ smiling, but with an air of worry about her, Penelope asked "What's up, gumdrop? What adventure do you need me for that day?"

"Not an adventure so much, Pen, but more like protection." JJ replied.

"Protection? Protection from what?" Garcia was more than slightly alarmed.

"Will is coming over to pick Henry up, for his part of the custody arrangement. But I have to tell you Pen, it scares me for some reason. He phoned last night, and he was so bitter on the phone. Not that I can blame him, but still, I just don't want to be alone when he arrives. Do you think you can be there at my place by noon on Sunday?" JJ asked hopefully.

"I'll be there, sweetheart, and I'll have back up too. I'm bringing Derek with me." Seeing JJ about to protest, Penelope held her hand up "No, don't tell me not to ask him. If anything, and I mean anything should happen, we should have him there. And he won't say no to you or me. Consider it done."

JJ swallowed the protest she was about to come out with, reasoning that Garcia was probably right. Talking to Will last night on the phone had been trying, the man was angry. Very angry. And JJ did not relish the thought of being alone with him whatsoever. Instead, she said to Garcia "Thank you, for everything you do. I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

"Just you remember that, the next time I need a favor from you!" Garcia laughed.

Relieved that she wouldn't be alone on Sunday now, JJ left a laughing Garcia and headed back to her office. As much as she dreaded Sunday, she was looking forward to Saturday, and Rossi coming over for dinner. She told herself it really wasn't a date, it was a friend coming over as payment for the favors he'd done for her. Just because said friend had the ability to drive her mad in her dreams, well that didn't mean too much. At least, they would have a chance to get to know one another better over dinner. Gathering her things from her office, JJ turned out the light and locked the door. Heading towards Rossi's door, she knocked, entering when she heard a "come in". Dave looked up when she entered, remarking "And to what do I owe this pleasure?"

JJ smiled at him before answering with "I'm heading out, and I just wanted to make sure we were still on for tomorrow. I was just going to say, if you wanted to arrive a little sooner, it would be nice. We can chat while I prepare dinner. I mean, if it's okay with you. You don't have to, I just----" she was cut off by Rossi then.

"JJ, it's fine. I can come early, it's not a problem. In fact, it would be my pleasure. I don't mind, not at all."

JJ gave him a huge smile, then she said "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." She started giggling as she turned to leave, feeling for all the world like a teenager talking to her first crush.

"JJ, I look forward to dinner tomorrow. You don't have to be so nervous. It's just me. You've known me for almost two years. You've been drunk in my house, passed out in my guest room. It's okay." Mr. Practicality reared his ugly head in Rossi, refusing to let him just accept the fact that JJ maybe was interested in him.

Turning back, JJ replied to him "I know Dave, I know. It just makes me happy that you are coming. I don't know what I would have done now without you, and I want the meal to be special. That's all. I really appreciate all you've done."

"Well, then, I'll see you tomorrow. I look forward to it."

And with that, JJ escaped out the door, heading to the daycare to pick up Henry. Scooping him up, she walked to her car, balancing everything as she went. She thought of the man she'd left sitting in the office upstairs. Her good mood was tempered by the fact that the man confused her. She was sure he was interested in her. But why did he have to say that, that she'd known him for almost two years. She didn't intend to let this dinner just be it with Dave, oh, no, not by a long shot. And if he hadn't asked her out on a real date by the end of the evening tomorrow night, she would take matters into her own hands and ask him. For JJ realized, that while her dreams had pointed her in the right direction, sending her towards Rossi, her actions now needed to show him that she wanted him, and for her sanity, not just in her dreams. The man had a good heart behind his abrasive character, that when he wanted it to show, just proved how warm and good a man he was. And he'd done that for her, and she didn't want to lose it. So, whether he realized it or not, David Rossi was as good as done. When JJ set her mind to something, she didn't intend to walk away and lose it. One thing she'd realized in giving up Will, if it wasn't worth keeping, then it was time to lose it. Too bad she hadn't realized it a lot sooner than she had.

Arriving at home, JJ let herself in the door, excitedly planning for tomorrow. Henry and her would go shopping in the morning, after the furniture people were here, to get food for the meal tomorrow night. Part of her wanted to impress Rossi with her cooking skills, which she'd always considered very good. Her mom and grandma had been terrific cooks, and JJ liked to think she'd learned something from them. The evening passed quickly for her, and before she knew it, it was time for Henry to be down for the night. Just before she got ready for bed herself, the phone rang. She looked at her caller I.D. And seen it was Rossi. Surprised, she answered it, actually terrified in a way that he was phoning to cancel on her, despite his promises.

"JJ, just wanted to check in with you, how much earlier do you want me there tomorrow? I've got a meeting in the morning, it's a last minute thing, and don't know how long it might take, but don't worry, I'll be there. I just don't know how much earlier I can make it." Rossi sounded disappointed on the other end.

"Dave, it doesn't matter if you are late or not. Just as long as you are here, that's all I care about." Although she tried, disappointment had crept into her voice, which he picked up on almost immediately.

"JJ, I'm still going to be there, and if you wish, I'll stay later. I just wanted you to know in case you tried to phone me. " he tried to make her feel better.

"No, no, Dave, it's fine. I'm just glad you are still coming. I thought you were phoning to cancel."

"JJ, you couldn't keep me away. I enjoy your company, and I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Her heart soared with that, her disappointment vanishing. "Well, I'm glad Dave. I enjoy your company very much and will have something very special prepared for you."

"Goodnight, JJ. See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Dave, I'm glad you called."

With that, they disconnected, JJ left to think about the man who'd captured her imagination, and as she now realized, her heart. Once she realized that, she thought to herself "how the hell did that happen?" They didn't know a lot about each other, they enjoyed each other's company though. They'd never been on a date, they hadn't even properly kissed yet. So why was her heart telling her repeatedly that he was the one she wanted? She blamed her dreams entirely for getting her into this mess, but realized that the dreams were her minds way of catching up with what her heart already knew. JJ had managed to fall in love with one David Rossi, and it hadn't taken any effort on either of their parts. However, that left her with a problem of huge magnitude. How did she get him to fall in love with her?


	9. Chapter 9

Saturday came, and JJ was a bundle of nerves from the moment she awoke. She felt like a teenager, getting ready for her first date. She actually had butterflies in her stomach, flitting about, making her anxious about the upcoming dinner "date". She actually was more nervous than she should be, because she realized that this couldn't even technically be called a date. It was a meal as a repayment for the favor of everything he'd done for her. Nothing more, nothing less. Except she wanted it to be so much more than that. Henry and her ventured out to the market, getting the ingredients to make up a delicious supper of Chicken in mushroom sauce, a tasty tiramisu for dessert and assorted goodies. She hoped he liked what she cooked, but felt that Dave would tell her it was delicious even if it was the pits. The man could be gracious when he wanted to be, and he had been unusually nice to her as of late.

At precisely 6 p.m., the doorbell rang. JJ checked herself in the mirror, hoping that she appeared to be dressed nicely, but casually. She smoothed her hair, and reached for the doorknob, opening it to let Dave in. He was standing there, with two bouquets of flowers, and a bottle of wine. She stood back to let him enter, him handing her the bottle of wine.

"Dave, you didn't have to. None of this. They're lovely, very lovely, but you've done so much already, you didn't need to bring anything."

"JJ, it's my pleasure. A woman deserves flowers every now and then, and I came prepared. I know you love roses and gardenias, I couldn't decide which to buy, so I brought both, not that either are as lovely as the woman they are for. And the wine, well, dinner always needs a good wine to go with it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, it's a favorite of mine."

JJ blushed at his compliment about being lovelier than the flowers, and they walked towards the living room. She realized now why he had three ex-wives and many, many women in his wake. The man did know how to impress a woman. Henry was laying on the floor of the living room, on his blanket. JJ had been playing with him before Dave arrived, she'd been more than slightly anxious that he wasn't going to show up. Surprising even JJ, Rossi removed his shoes and sat down on the floor with Henry. She joined them momentarily, shocked that Rossi would play with her son so casually. He didn't seem like a baby person, and she found that this pleased her on many levels. Henry was part and parcel of any relationship she may have with Dave, so it was nice to see the profiler play with her son, getting him to laugh and giggle. After doing this for a few minutes, she heard the timer and got up, supper was ready. Dave followed her to the kitchen, carrying Henry, talking all the way.

"So, what culinary delight have you managed to concoct for us tonight, JJ?"

"A chicken in mushroom sauce, Dave. I hope you like it, it's a favorite of mine to make. I also have a tiramisu for dessert, and fresh rolls which I baked this afternoon. I don't get many opportunities to bake, so I have way more than I need. It's all my mom's recipes. Now, she's an excellent cook, I hope I've learned anything from her, it's how to cook."

"JJ, I'm sure that the meal is delicious. What do you need help with?" he asked as he settled Henry into his high chair.

"Could you feed Henry while I'm getting this stuff onto the plates? I mean, if you want to, of course. You don't have to feed him, it's okay--"rambling once again, she was cut off by Dave.

"JJ, it's not a problem. We'll get the little man's tummy filled so that mommy can enjoy the meal, too."

Her jaw dropping just a little, she quickly made up a bowl for Henry, handing it to Dave. She wished she had her camera phone, Garcia was never going to believe Rossi feeding her baby. It was too sweet and good, definetly not like she expected the man to be. Dave made babytalk with Henry, telling him to open up to let the airplane in, and Henry remarkably cooperated. The majority of the food went in, very little came back up, and Dave got some of Henry's toys and put them on the tray of the high chair so the boy could remain with them while they ate.

Dave stood up while she put their meal on the plates, finding some glasses to pour the wine into, and putting it on the table. She finished with dishing the meal out, and the two sat at the table, by the happily babbling baby and dug in and enjoyed the meal.

"It's delicious, JJ. You are a great cook, you have a real talent for it." he complimented her sincerely.

JJ graced Dave with one of her fabulous smiles, looking down as she said to him "thank you. My mom tried to instill something of the culinary arts in me, when all I was interested in was playing soccer. I'm glad she succeeded more than she thought she would."

They chatted back and forth like this continually, throughout the rest of supper. He told her tales of when Hotch first joined the BAU, before he became such a serious man. He told tales of Strauss, before she became the wicked witch of the FBI, from when she was a green newbie, who used everyone to get ahead. They quit the shop talk when JJ got up to get dessert, clearing away the dishes from the table. Even with the tiramisu, JJ had done well, he loved it. She caught Rossi giving Henry a little taste of it and laughed, he reddened because he'd been caught. Looking into his eyes, she seen them dance and twinkle with laughter. They finished dessert, and JJ cleared those dishes away too. They adjourned to the living room, when Henry started to yawn, so she excused herself to ready him for bed. Dave followed her up to Henry's room, admiring the new furniture that now occupied the space.

"When did you get these? Did you put it together yourself?" he asked out of curiousity.

"No, I went shopping Thursday after work. I paid the extra money to have it assembled and it was delivered this morning. I didn't want to intrude on anyone else, they've already done so much for me. And I have Garcia and Morgan coming tomorrow, I just feel like I'm using everyone so much at this point. So, I just paid for the assembly."

"JJ, hon, nobody thinks you are using them. You're their friend, more like family. They will do anything for you. And what do you need Garcia and Morgan for? Do you need help, I can come over and help, if you'd like."

"It's nothing, Dave, really. Will is coming over to pick Henry up for his visitation at noon tomorrow, and I'm very nervous about having him here. He sounded different on the phone, angry, very angry. I've never heard him sound like he did last night. It actually scared me. So, I asked Garcia to be here when Will showed up, and she brought in the big guns for extra protection." JJ was embarrassed to admit this.

"I'll be here. If you are nervous, I'm going to be here. Did he say anything on the phone last night, anything specific?"

"No, he just kept going on and on about this was the worst decision I've ever made. That none of this would be necessary if I would just come back to him, that I never gave him a valid reason for leaving him. He still wants me back, and he doesn't like that I've managed to get some things in order and move on, try to figure out what I do want. And right now, I don't want Will, and I doubt it will change. I don't feel the same about him anymore."

Rossi had held his breath slightly, letting it out when he heard JJ say that she did not feel the same way about Will anymore. It disturbed him about Will, he thought that he might try and intimidate JJ into coming back, blackmail her using Henry. JJ finished changing Henry and set him down in the crib, turning on the baby monitor and night light, and they slipped out the door.

Downstairs, they went to the living room, and settled on the couch together. There was a gas fireplace there, and JJ used the remote to turn the flame on, more for the atmosphere than the heat. It was a nice comfort, one she'd not had in a while. She always liked a fire. After that, they settled in, and talked, her earlier nervousness completely disappearing. She felt like she could tell him anything, and she did, short of telling him she had feelings for him. He told her of his travels, his books, the tours, his house at Little Creek, even his dog she didn't know he had. Looking at the clock, they realized they'd talked for almost two hours. Neither seemed inclined to end the evening though, so they chatted some more, neither making a move out of the ordinary. They seemed to have inched closer to one another though, and Rossi picked her hand up and held it. JJ stared at how small her hand seemed in his, how gentle it seemed, smoother than she'd ever thought it would be. He lifter her hand to his lips, giving it a soft kiss.

"JJ, would you go out with me on a proper date, Monday night? Anywhere you want to go, I'll arrange it. I know you just split up with Will, so if you don't want to, it's fine. But I was wondering if you'd like to start seeing each other." he couldn't believe he'd finally asked her out. He'd asked plenty of women out, and he knew the odds were that JJ would say yes, but he still was experiencing a slight moment when he thought she'd say no.

"Actually, Dave, I'd like that very much. I would love to see you on Monday. And you pick what we do, just let me know how to dress, casual, dressy, whatever. I do like to be prepared." JJ beamed at him. Inside, she felt like squeeing out loud, she had a DATE with David Rossi. Not just a dinner obligation like tonight, but a real date. She felt like a teenager, being asked out to her first prom.

JJ settled into the crook of his arm, resting her head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, the rhythm of his breathing. She was content just being with him, and felt this was the start of something between them, as more than just friends. As the hour became later, he finally decided it was time to head for home. They stood up, heading for the door, JJ not really wanting him to leave. Thinking she might get a real kiss this time, she got a kiss on the cheek again. Dissatisfied to a certain extent, she couldn't believe she felt so disappointed. Not wanting to push things though, because apparently Rossi was on his own agenda, she said nothing. He promised he'd be there in the morning, bright and early, he kissed her hand one last time and was gone, leaving a dissatisfied JJ to her dreams, where she got more than just a kiss on the cheek.


	10. Chapter 10

Saturday night, JJ tossed and turned. She was bothered by the fact that she had wanted to jump Rossi last night on the couch, but she couldn't read him. He'd done nothing but hold her hand and kiss her cheek. Yes, she was moving fast, but it wasn't like this was a total stranger she was with. They were friends, good friends, and JJ knew she wanted him. She felt that he wanted her, but that he was holding back. Since they were going out on a proper date on Monday, if he hadn't kissed her by the end of the night, she was going to take matters into her own hands. If he didn't respond to that, well, she didn't know if she could ever get a reaction out of him.

Morning finally came, she'd slept some, but wasn't well rested. Henry was still asleep, she was going to miss him when he went with Will. She'd been lucky, being able to spend so much time with him the last few days. She dreaded Will arriving here, now that she'd left him, she began questioning herself as to why she'd stayed with him for so long. She could honestly say she hadn't missed him, not at all. She put on her robe, going down to the kitchen. She finished cleaning up from last night, starting the dishwasher, putting stuff away. She looked at the beautiful flowers that Dave had brought her, he was right, she liked both equally, and it really was thoughtful of him to bring her both types. She tried to think of what Will might have brought her. Yes, he'd given her his badge, came to Washington, but that's when he'd failed to convince her to quit, or at the very least cut down on the BAU. Everything with him came with strings attached. When they had begun to live together, it had worked. For awhile. But then she had begun to see why a long distance relationship had worked between them. Close quarters with him had drove her nuts. He had still wanted her to cut down on the BAU, especially after she'd returned to work after having Henry. JJ held strong, although it had caused friction between the two of them. It was when the fights began that she'd began to dream of Dave. Maybe it was her escape away from the reality of the situation she'd been trapped in. She didn't know where she got the courage to leave, but she had. And she knew without a doubt, she would not be going back to Will.

The morning passed quickly, Garcia and Morgan arriving first. Garcia played with Henry, while JJ got the coffees ready and they sat around her kitchen table. Morgan was the first to speak.

"So, JJ, why are you so concerned about Will? Did he threaten you or anything over the phone?"

"No, Derek, it's not that. He just sounded so angry when I spoke to him the other night. In the time we've been together, he's never spoken like that. His tone scared me. I'm worried about Henry going with him, but I don't think he'll hurt Henry. It's me he's angry with."

"Well, JJ, I don't know what to say. I don't know what happened between you and Will, but I'm with you. Any trouble, I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Derek, that means a lot to me." JJ smiled and then took a sip from her coffee. At that, the doorbell rang, and she got up to answer it. It was Rossi, with muffins for everyone, he'd stopped at his favorite coffee shop on the way. Derek and Garcia didn't seem too surprised that he'd joined them for this little adventure, they simply accepted that he was there to help protect their good friend. He joined them at the table, everybody having a pleasant time, chatting away, although they all noticed that as it drew closer to noon, JJ was noticeably tenser than she had been.

Rossi spoke to JJ then, in a gentle tone of voice. "JJ, hon, it'll be okay. Don't show him you're nervous, he'll use it against you. Hand Henry over, and get him out of the house. Go spend some time with Henry now, he'll be here soon."

"Right, Dave, you're right. I don't know why I'm nervous, it's just Will. It was his tone more than anything though that made me nervous."

"It'll be fine, really. We're all here for you, JJ." Garcia said then, standing up to give her a hug. JJ gave her a hug back, glad to be surrounded by her friends. With that, she went to gather up some of Henry's things to send with him, and to get him dressed to go. She didn't want to, but it was better than having no access to her son. Next thing she knew, it was noon, and the doorbell rang, Will was there. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she opened the door. She hadn't seen him since she left on the last trip with the BAU, and she was surprised by how bad he looked.

"Will, come in. Henry's ready, he's in the living room with Garcia. I'll get him for you."

"What, you need Garcia to be here for when I'm here, JJ? You aren't afraid of little old me, are you?" He loomed closer to her, causing her to take a step backwards.

"I'm not afraid of you, Will, Penelope came over for coffee this morning. It's not a crime, is it?" JJ stood firm, determined not to show any sign of fear. She was an FBI agent, she dealt with this kind of crap all the time.

"JJ, I think you are wrong. You had no business abandoning me and your son. I gave up everything for you to move up here. And now, you've done this to me. I can't believe you are such a coldhearted bitch to just dump us like that." With that, he grabbed both of her wrists in his hands, clutching them tightly.

"Will, let me go NOW!" JJ hissed at him. He continued to grip her tightly, causing her pain. She backed away, from him, he continued to grip onto her. Finally, JJ had had enough. She slammed her heel into his foot, and with that he let go, screeching in pain and anger. At that, Derek and Rossi came running out of the living room, alarmed by the sounds. What they seen was a doubled over Will and a pissed off JJ.

"What the hell happened out here?" was the first words out of Dave's mouth. He took a protective stance beside JJ, almost willing the jerk to try something again. He'd have more than a hurt foot if he did.

"Dave, it's okay. Will is leaving NOW." JJ said in a tightly controlled voice.

"What, did you replace me with one of these two idiots?" he said in an insulting tone, still smarting from being injured by JJ.

JJ didn't know what to do. She didn't want Henry to go with him, but she wanted him out of there. She figured he wouldn't leave without her son, and had to trust that he wouldn't hurt Henry because he loved him. She rubbed her wrists, angry red marks where his fingers had been appearing. They'd bruise shortly, a reminder of how badly this had gone.

Rossi spoke before anyone else, replying to Will "Well, if she was with Derek or I, it would be a hell of a lot better than with some idiot who thinks he can get a woman to agree with him by hurting her."

"Why are you even here, Rossi? You aren't friends with JJ, why would you need to be here? For that matter, why would any of you need to be here? JJ doesn't trust me, so needs the FBI to protect her?"

"Well, Will, they are my friends. They care for me. And if you had cared for me at all, you wouldn't try to hurt me." JJ said quietly.

With that, Will looked at her, and he finally realized that whatever it was he had with JJ was over. The fight went out of him then, he looked sheepish and embarrassed. He backed up towards the door, speaking. "Can I have Henry now, JJ? I'm sorry, I truly am. I shouldn't have touched you. I'm sorry."

JJ believed him, she did. Garcia brought Henry out then, the three FBI agents making a protective circle behind JJ. Garcia handed Henry to Will, glaring at him the entire time. Not content with an apology, Garcia whispered to him "You ever touch my little JJ again, you'll be living out of a cardboard box somewhere. Do you understand me?"

Will looked at Penelope, he knew she was good at computers, and figured that his life could get much worse if he didn't beat a hasty retreat. The two male FBI agents were glaring daggers at him, and he figured he was extremely close to being beaten. He took his son, looked at Garcia and said "Understood." With that, he opened the door and left.

When the door closed, JJ uttered a sigh, and almost fell. Rossi caught her, helping her to the couch, setting her down.

"I'm okay, Dave. I just was a lot more nervous than I let on. I really thought he was going to hurt me, I really did." She rubbed her wrists some more, they hurt a lot.

"JJ, do you want to phone the police? Or at the least, go to emergency room. Get this documented. In case he ever tries anything like this again. It would also help in case he pushes the custody issue. You should get these photographed, just as a precaution." Garcia chimed in.

"I don't know, I don't know what to do. I never expected him to do that." JJ babbled.

"Look, we'll get it documented, have it on hand. If he tries anything to keep Henry away from you, you at least have a hospital report, something to keep him behaving." Rossi offered.

With that, JJ agreed. They got up, made their way to the hospital, and spent the better part of the afternoon, waiting their turn. Her wrists were a deep purple by the time the doctor looked at them, but there was nothing much he could do for her. The police were called, the bruises photographed, and the four trooped out of the hospital by 4 that afternoon. Rossi, feeling the need to lighten things up, offered to take the four of them to his favorite restaurant, picking up the tab. They joked, they laughed, they avoided the topic at hand, and in general, tried to put behind them what had happened earlier. JJ even joined in, glad she had such great friends she could count on. When they got back to her place, Morgan and Garcia departed, saying they'd see her tomorrow, to call if she needed anything at all.

Rossi departed shortly after them, coming into the house to make sure that JJ was okay.

"Are we still on for tomorrow night?" he asked her gently, giving her an opportunity to back out if she wished.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Dave." she smiled, not letting the day get her down.

"Good. I'll pick you up at 7, okay?"

"Sounds great, Dave." She rested her head on his chest, not really wanting him to go, but just wanting to lay down and sleep. He pulled her into a hug, reluctant to leave her. He kissed her forehead gently then, which caused her to wonder if he would ever do more than kiss her cheek, hand or forehead. Not up for a discussion on it tonight, she let it go.

"Let me know when you get home, Dave, okay?"

"I will, babe, I will. I'll see you in the morning. Lock your doors up after I leave. Any trouble, you phone me right away."

"Good night, Dave."

"Good night, sweetheart." With that, he was out the door and gone. She ran a bath, desperate to soak away the day. As she sunk into the tub, the phone had rang, Rossi had arrived home. They made some small talk before JJ climbed out of the tub, got ready for bed and settled in for the night. She looked forward to tomorrow, she was having a real date with Rossi, not even Will could get her down. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought of Rossi, glad she had met the man she called a friend, and now, a potential lover, dreaming of him once again.


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n I have no idea whether a museum exists like this in Washington, but in my little fanfiction universe, it does. As always, thanks for the reviews, I do appreciate them. Thanks to everyone who is still reading, thanks for hanging in here! CM is not mine, please don't sue!**

JJ couldn't believe the night was going so well with Dave. She'd fretted at work all day, had no idea what Rossi had planned. When she'd asked what to wear, all he'd said was to make it dressy but comfortable. With bruises still to hide, she'd dressed in a favorite blouse of hers, a deep red burgundy color, with a flowing white skirt. She wore her hair up, not something she normally did, but felt the need for a change. She wore minimal makeup, and a pair of diamond stud earrings, and was ready. He'd showed up on time(god, she loved his punctuality, he never kept her waiting), and had been a gentleman all night. He'd held open his SUV door, helping her up and in to it. They arrived at his favorite restaurant, the staff all seemed to know him, treating him specially. They had excellent service, a truly wonderful meal. She found out he had more of a sense of humor then she'd previously realized. But it was after the restaurant and small talk that she discovered more about the man. He parked in front of a museum-like building, one that looked like it was closed, but that didn't stop Dave. He opened the door, helped her out again, taking her hand in his, they walked up the stairs towards the doors. A security guard met them, and let them in, he'd obviously been expected. Dave held her hand tightly in his, not wanting to let go.

"Dave, where are we? And how do you get access to a place that's closed like this? You know a lot of people, don't you?"

"JJ, it's one of my favorite places in Washington. It has some of the most beautiful paintings I've ever seen. I collect art, and I just wanted to bring you here to see some of the things of beauty I need to remind myself of. This job takes it out of you, I just wanted you to see that you need to have something to remind you that not everything is as dark as we see."

They held hands, walking around the museum, JJ touched that he would take her to one of his favorite places. It was a glimpse into his world, one she'd never seen. They discussed the artwork, Dave was pleased with several of her comments, it turned out that a lot of what she liked was his favorite art too. What she really liked was how he never let go of her hand, except to put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close occasionally. The arm felt so right around her shoulder. Pretty soon, he led her to an indoor garden, a huge one with a running brook through it. It had been beautifully recreated oasis indoors. All these years in Washington, and she had never known it was there. No wonder Rossi loved this place. They wandered the pathways, before finding a bench where they settled down. Looking up, JJ seen the moon shining through the glass that covered the entire oasis.

"Well, JJ, what do you think? How do you like this place?"

"It's beautiful, Dave. I never knew about this place, I'm embarrassed to admit. I haven't visited too much in this town, but I can see why you love it. I know how much you love the outdoors, so it must be nice to see such a slice of the outdoors next to your other love."

"I come here when I need to get away from the BAU. Sometimes I slip over at lunch time, just to wander in here. The oasis is the highlight of the place for me."

"Well, it's beautiful. Thank you for letting me in on your little secret. It's wonderful."

Dave held her hand tightly gripped in his. JJ didn't know what to think, but something came over her. She was tired of waiting for him to make the first move. Taking a chance, going on instinct, JJ moved in, kissing Rossi full on the lips. She felt him stiffen, but he didn't move away. Her hand snaked up to his head, pulling his head down,, deepening the kiss. She felt him move his arm around her back, pulling her body closer to him. Now, this was a kiss, she thought to herself. With the moon and stars above her, the sound of a brook running near them, it was just them, lost in each other. She had no idea how long they sat there, just kissing. After awhile, they just sat there, her head on his shoulder. It wasn't a big, splashy date, but Dave had taken her to a place he held special, which made her feel special.

Finally, she spoke to him "Dave, what do you want to do? Do you want to try and make a relationship of this?"

"JJ, I do, I really do. But are you ready? You just got out of a relationship with Will. I'm not pushing you into anything, this is why I held back. I don't want to do anything to make you feel like you were rushed into anything."

"Dave, you aren't rushing me, you aren't. I guess I should admit to you, I've been developing.....feelings for you for awhile. And when I realized I was starting to develop some feelings other than friendship for you, that's when I broke up with Will." JJ felt relieved, getting some stuff off her chest.

"We're probably a bad idea together, you know that? I'm old enough to be your father."

"It couldn't be any worse than me and Will together. And why does that matter? Really Dave, you should know, you can't help who you fall for. Age doesn't matter. If it's one thing I've discovered the last few days, you don't really know anyone. I lived with Will for over a year, but I never, ever thought he would hurt me. And when he did that, knowing Garcia was sitting in the next room, I couldn't believe it. My mind has been telling me for awhile that it wasn't right with him. And it was telling me something else too." She giggled at that, causing him to look at her with curiosity.

"What's so funny, babe?"

"Well, my mind has been telling me for over a month now that I've been developing some rather "strong" feelings for you. I'm just glad I finally acted upon them, but you've been so busy being a damn gentleman, it's been hard to get a kiss out of you. I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever kiss. You certainly don't disappoint, that's for sure."

"Well, you aren't so bad yourself." He stood up then, and held his hand out, bringing her up to join him. He pulled her into a deep kiss again, one that took her breath away. Taking her hand again, they began to walk through the indoor garden, not wanting the evening to end. However, time and practicality took over when they realized it was 11:00 p.m. With work tomorrow, the evening had to come to a conclusion, but not without the two of them joining together for a kiss again. Leaving the museum, JJ was sorry the evening was over so soon. He helped her into the SUV again, and they were on their way.

Arriving at her place, Dave followed her into the house. She put some coffee on, and they sat in the living room, waiting for it to brew. She snuggled up next to him, finally asking him "Do you want to go out again?"

"What do you think?" he asked, pulling her in for a kiss again.

"I'd say that's a yes?" JJ whispered.

"I'd say that's a yes." Dave replied.

"Well, I wonder what you'll have planned for a second date. It's going to be hard to top tonight. How did you get the museum to open after hours for you?"

"You'd be surprised what having friends in high places will get you, sweetheart." he chuckled.

"Well, whatever we do, I'm sure it will be great."

"Wednesday night sound good to you?" he asked.

"Sounds perfect."

With that, Dave got up to leave. JJ walked with him to the door, bringing him in for another kiss. She would have to be satisfied with kissing for now, and man, Dave could kiss. She had felt his reluctance in the initial kiss, and figured it would be awhile before things went any further. With one final kiss, he was out the door, unbeknown to her, he was heading for a very cold shower. Tonight proved to him it was going to be very hard to hold back to his original plan and court her. His mind had good intentions, but his body was betraying him, and he was sure that JJ was willing. But for his own sake, he held back, there would be no rushing this relationship. So, he made do with his dreams, and like JJ, he was now bewitched and haunted by his dreams.


	12. Chapter 12

**a/n shorter chapter here, just a glimpse into both their thoughts after their first date. Next chapter will be longer! As always, thanks for reading!**

JJ realized after Dave was gone that the date she agreed to on Wednesday night coincided with Will bringing Henry back. She decided to just discuss this with Dave at lunch the next day, hoping he didn't mind to much. She assumed he wouldn't, because he knew that Henry and her were a package deal now, and all activities had to take place around that. It also made her feel better that Dave would be around, she really didn't want to be alone with Will. After Sunday, she no longer wanted to be alone with him in any way, even to exchange her child. She figured he probably wouldn't do it again, but none the less, was justifiably nervous. She rubbed her bruises at that, hardly believing that he'd done this to her.

JJ dressed for bed, thinking about the evening she'd just enjoyed. She couldn't believe that wonderful place, had no idea it had even existed in this town. What touched her more was the fact that Dave had chosen to share that place with her, a place that brought him a bit of peace in the middle of the horror they experienced. She thought about the kissing. True, she'd initiated the kiss, but damn, she had to show him that she was interested in him, and very much. The cheek kissing, the forehead kissing, hell, even the hand kissing had been very nice, but a girl could only take so much. She laughed to herself, no wonder the man had a reputation, his kiss had been like nothing she'd ever experienced before. JJ wasn't one for gushing, but man, David Rossi could kiss. As in toe-curling, roof-top shouting, it's in his kiss kissing.

JJ also knew her body was betraying her, because she was pretty sure if Rossi had been willing, she wouldn't have been spending the night alone. But because he held back, he had endeared himself to her even more. He wasn't pushing, he was letting her do the pursuing. And that in itself made her want him even more. She pulled her robe tight around her, it was after 12:30, but she needed a tea to calm her nerves. She went down to the kitchen and put the kettle on, seating herself in the darkened kitchen, left to her thoughts of one David Rossi and resigned herself to the fact that the dreams tonight had more than enough fuel to make her toss and turn.

Out at Little Creek, Dave Rossi had arrived home, and headed straight for his shower. He needed one in the worst way, he needed to become less hot and bothered, and an evening spent kissing one Jennifer Jareau had done that to him. The blond had him wrapped around her finger, and she didn't even know it. True, it wasn't his first kiss with her, but to be fair, at least they both remembered this one. As he stood under the stinging cold needles of the shower, he thought about the media liaison. One thing he knew for sure, if he had wanted to pursue the evenings activities, she would have willing gone along with it. He didn't know why she wanted him, hell, he'd tried to tell her this could be a horrible thing, with the age difference, but it didn't seem to mean a damn thing to her. She wanted him, and eventually, he was going to be hers, whether he kicked and screamed the entire way or settled down and enjoyed the ride.

Dave's thoughts drifted to the kissing they'd enjoyed. He shouldn't have been so surprised that she kissed him, Dave had been trying to hold back. JJ had split with Will not too long ago, and Dave worried that she was too emotionally fragile to deal with a new relationship. That she wanted him was a clear fact. Whether or not they should be connecting so emotionally right now was another. A breakup between the two of them could be devastating to both of them. And one thing he realized right now, they were going down a road that would change both of them. Maybe JJ thought it was just a physical relationship she wanted right now, but already, in the fledgling stages of this relationship, Dave knew he wanted more. Holding her off from the physical side of a relationship was going to take some doing, and many, many more cold showers on his part.

Getting out of the shower, he went downstairs and grabbed his trusty bottle of scotch, he needed to calm himself. He had enjoyed their date tonight. Both the restaurant and the museum were favorite spots of his, one that he'd never taken another woman to before. JJ was special though, and he wanted her to see a special part of his life. She'd appeared to love it as much as he did, and since she wasn't a great liar, he thought she really did love it. He almost wished they'd been able to spend the entire night in the oasis, it truly was beautiful. And the kiss, well, yes, she'd initiated, but he found he didn't mind. Having kissed a great deal of women(not bragging to himself, but yeah, he'd been around the block a time or two), well, JJ was good at it. Very good. Much better sober than intoxicated, he'd found out.

Taking his scotch with him, he headed for bed. He had the feeling he wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight, however. He'd been a good man, not taking things too far, keeping his plan of courting her, but it was hard on him. He faced the fact that he wanted JJ, but he had to convince her to take things slow. Which presented a problem, because JJ was apparently wanting to take things much faster than him. Convincing her to wait, til they had time to make sure this was going to last, well, he wondered how he was ever going to do that. Brushing his teeth, he tried to banish thoughts of JJ for now, but gave up, settled into bed, to dreams that haunted by a bewitching blond.


	13. Chapter 13

JJ almost slept in on Tuesday morning, the late night and her inability to sleep having taken their toll on her. Fortunately, her trusty alarm clock had gotten her up and going, she only hoped she could hold things together and not give any indication to one nosy computer tech as to her previous evenings activities. Garcia already knew about the dreams, JJ wasn't quite ready to reveal that she was indeed dating the object of those dreams. Hurrying through her breakfast, she put the dishes away, and off she went.

JJ and Rossi both arrived at the BAU at the same time the next morning. Both looked like they hadn't gotten much sleep, but smiled wide smiles at one another. Since they were on the elevator by themselves, JJ brought up the fact that Will was bringing Henry by around 6 on Wednesday, and wondered if he could be there by then for their date, instead of 7.

"I tell you what, JJ, I'll bring some things with me, I'll change at your place, I'll just follow you home from here. What do you say?"

"Sounds fine, Dave. The guest room has a bath, you can get ready in there. And thanks, Dave. I'm still not ready to be alone with him. I don't think he'd pull anything again, but still, I don't trust him anymore."

"Good, I can't wait to go out with Henry and you. I'll have to revise my plans a bit, but we'll have a good time, the three of us."

With that, the elevator door opened and they got out on their floor. Both had no intention of letting anyone know they were dating yet. One date in, it was none of the teams business, none at all. JJ would have loved to have told Penelope of the wondrous place she'd visited last night, but knew if she did, Derek would be the first to know afterwards. And from there it would go. JJ wanted to keep this between themselves, no intention of letting this little slice of her private life being advertised. She liked to tell herself it was different than with Will, but in ways it was the same. As much as she loved her "family", she wanted to keep this part to herself for now. They parted, heading for their respective offices.

They swung into the work day almost immediately, a case coming in that JJ needed to do a report on and decide if it needed them immediately out there. Presenting the case to the team, she began.

"Okay, we have a Gabby Winslow, 22 years old, last seen leaving her place of work 22 hours ago. We've been called in because it appears to be a pattern of disappearances in the San Diego area, and she's the latest victim. Her car was found, parked at a marina, her purse and all I.D. Still in there, keys in the ignition, the door locked. It is apparently the 5th car to be found parked at the marina, no one seems to notice who's driving it or anyone leaving it. None of the other 4 women have been found. It's like they disappeared into thin air."

"Why is the police department calling us in now?" Reid asked.

"Latest vic is the daughter of the mayor. She's screaming bloody murder for the P.D. To get their asses into gear, and they don't have anything to go on. So, they are requesting official FBI help now. Too bad the other women weren't related to someone in power, otherwise maybe we would have been called in sooner." JJ said with distaste.

"Do the authorities have anything to go on?" Morgan asked.

"Very minimal. Only that the victimology is 22 year old , brown haired, green eyed women, who all worked in major hotel chains in San Diego. They all had different jobs, worked different shifts, and all disappeared after they got off shift. Other than that, nothing to lead towards a suspect."

"Well, inform them we are coming, wheels up in 2 hours." Hotch said.

With that, the team broke up, leaving JJ scrambling to go talk to Garcia. She didn't want Will to have to keep Henry while she was away, so she wanted Garcia to look after him, keeping the spirit of the custody arrangement. With that settled, she phoned Will, mostly just to tell him that Garcia would be picking Henry up tomorrow night at the appointed time. Having dodged that bullet, she realized her date with Rossi was now on hold, and while disappointed, she'd get over it. Someone needed their help, that came first.

They touched down in the California heat, and things went downhill from the moment they arrived. The secondary detective on the case out there had come on to JJ strong, never going too far out of line to catch the attention of the others, but trapping JJ alone long enough at times to convey in his attitude towards JJ as a potential conquest. By the end of the day, JJ was ready to kill him, Rossi was coming close to losing his cool (JJ seen how angry Dave was getting by the minute, but was proud of how well he controlled himself). However, it affected both of them in the way that they were more distracted by the minute over this little douchebag who thought he could put the moves on JJ.

JJ couldn't believe how unprofessional he was, and it made it very hard to work with the San Diego detectives. She finally had to approach Hotch, to see if he could get the lead detective to control him. Mission accomplished shortly thereafter, JJ finally felt she could breath for the first time since arriving. They finally called it a night, and retired to the hotel. Not long after she settled in her room, she heard a knock on the door. Looking out the peephole, she seen her boyfriend standing there and giggled. Opening the door to let him in, she quickly peeked out to see if anyone else was out there, before pulling him into her room.

"JJ, I've never wanted to harm someone like I wanted to harm that little jerk today. This is a case we're working on, they called us in, and he acts like that? How did you keep from slapping him?" an exasperated Rossi said to her.

"Dave, I don't want to even talk about it anymore. Even if I wasn't involved with you, I would love to slap him silly. I've never been treated in a worse way than this. But I am proud that you managed to keep your anger in check. I thought you were going to pop the vein in your forehead." JJ replied.

Dave brought her in for a hug then, rubbing her back. "Yeah, I really didn't want to be arrested here. I have a second date to replan for us. I'm sorry our date night tomorrow night got interrupted. I'll make it up when we get home, okay? I've got a few other favorite places around town I'd like to show you."

"Dave, you want to catch a bite to eat, and go for a walk? I'm really hungry, what about you?"

"Give me fifteen minutes to shower and change, I'll be right back. Sound good to you?"

"Sounds perfect. I need something to forget how badly this day has gone. I hate being here to help people and getting treated like a piece of meat by the people who need help."

"Well, we need to get this case solved, and get out of this town."

With that, he leaned in for a deep kiss, one that made her forget what had gone on today. They touched foreheads to one another, gave one last kiss, and he was out the door, leaving JJ to ponder the day and the man she had fallen for. Although the day had ended far differently that she had thought, and their second date was now on hold, it didn't matter to her. What did matter to her was she was starting to realize that Rossi did care for her, a lot. And she in turn, was falling a lot harder for him than she ever thought possible.


	14. Chapter 14

The day in San Diego dawned bright and clear. JJ awoke in her hotel room, not wanting to go to work, but she was not one to shirk her duty. She hauled herself out of bed, determined to get down to work, ignore the little cretin detective who had been putting the moves on her, and help get this case solved. She met the team for breakfast and they quickly ate, ready to head to work. Arriving there, it was like Hotch hadn't even talked to the lead detective. If anything, the cretin was even more determined to hit on JJ. And he finally managed to get JJ alone in the briefing room, and he made a huge move on her. When she felt his hand squeeze her butt, she turned around and slugged him in the nose, which immediately started gushing all over the place. The little wimp started bawling like a baby then, screaming that she broke his nose.

"You're lucky it's just your nose that's broken, you douchebag! You ever come near me again, I will have you fired from this job, do you understand? What part of no do you not understand? We have a job to do, rescue victims that no one know where they are, and you're thinking with your other head?" JJ was screaming her head off at him, all pretense at civility long gone.

The rest of the team came rushing in at that point, and surveyed the damaged detective, the angry media liaison, and quickly put two and two together. JJ's hand was starting to swell up, her knuckles bruised. She'd hit him and hit him good. Prentiss took JJ to get ice for her hand, Hotch hauled the bleeding detective out of the briefing room, barely pausing to let the man get some paper towels to ebb the flow of blood. The end result was he was put on a two week suspension, had a broken nose, and was being demoted when he got back to work. JJ had no serious repercussions from this, because the man had been warned.

The pain in JJ's hand worsened throughout the day, but she tried to keep it to herself. She already felt like she'd been a spectacle, and wanted no further attention, just to work the case at hand. Rossi had been watching her, though, and realized she was in pain. When she winced one more time, Dave had had enough.

"JJ, I'm taking you to the hospital. You are obviously in pain, you need to be looked at. Come on, let's go." he spoke to her gently.

Wanting to get out of the station, JJ didn't even argue with Rossi, simply stopping to pick up her purse. Rossi informed Hotch they were heading for the hospital, and they were on their way. He hadn't had a chance to question her as to why she'd slugged the detective yet, and finally had an opportunity.

"So, slugger, you want to tell me what happened in there this morning?" he asked.

"Well, the next time a stranger grabs your ass after you've told him in every way, shape and form that you wanted nothing to do with him, let's see what you do!" an indignant JJ retorted.

"Hon, any guy who grabs my ass will get slugged anyway. I don't swing that way." he joked, trying to get her to laugh. It worked, JJ finally chuckling, after spending the better part of the day quite downhearted.

They arrived at the hospital shortly thereafter. They sat in the emergency room for a couple of hours, and chatted about this and that, in between times when JJ's hand alternated between being bearable and unbearable.

"So, this isn't quite the second date I expected with you JJ. It's not quite as nice a place as our last date." Rossi quipped.

"Yeah, I've been in better joints. Felt a lot better too!" JJ actually smiled, then winced when pain shot through her hand once again. She leaned on his shoulder, waiting for her turn. She finally was taken into a room, and a doctor quickly looked at her black and blue, swollen hand.

"I'm sending you for x-rays, I'd be willing to bet we're looking at a hairline fracture here. The nurse will be here shortly to take you to the x-ray department. For now, I'm prescribing these painkillers, take them now, it will ease the pain somewhat til we get your hand set."

With that, the doctor exited to get the medicine, and a nurse came back in with a wheelchair and the pills. JJ quickly took the medicine, and the three of them set off. As suspected, JJ had fractured her hand in two places with her well-aimed punch. They set it as best they could, gave her the prescription and sent them on their way.

JJ was embarrassed by all this and couldn't believe that it had happened. Her hand looked odd, wrapped well with the bandages and told her to make sure it was wrapped in plastic before she bathed, as to not get the bandages wet. Rather than go back to the police station, Rossi took her to the hotel. The painkillers were kicking in, and JJ was getting rather loopy. She acted the same way when she was drunk as when she was on painkillers. Giggling had commenced big time, as he maneuvered her through the lobby of the hotel and up to her room. They got strange looks from other guests, and Rossi almost burst out laughing too, by the time he got her into the room and the door shut behind him.

"Well, that was fun. I wonder what we could do that's more fun, Mr. Profiler?" JJ giggled at him.

Rossi looked at her, thinking "Here we go again." Everytime this woman lost her inhibitions, she seemed to want him. Dave was now going to be fighting her off again.

"JJ, why don't you lay down and get some sleep. I'm going to round up Prentiss, and we'll see if we can get you changed for bed. I've got to look for some scissors, I'm not sure exactly how we're going to get this blouse off of you." Seeing the look in JJ's eyes, Rossi wished he'd kept his mouth shut.

"You don't need scissors, Dave, you can just rip it off of me. I don't mind." JJ said in her most flirtatious tone.

"Uh, JJ, I'm not ready to go that far yet, and definetely not with a woman on pain meds. We'll save it for another time, okay?" Rossi begged her.

"Spoilsport. You're always turning me down." With that, JJ launched herself at him, kissing him deeply. And then did as before, collapsed into his arms, the pain meds having knocked her out.

Sighing, Dave lifted her up and took her to the bed. Arranging her injured arm on a pillow, Dave took off her shoes, covered her up, and went out the door, pocketing her room key. He would check on her later, and hope that she had slept. He laughed at the situation, and was pleased he had a new nickname for her, one he wasn't about to let her forget. He would have loved to have dealt with the little creep himself, but was proud JJ had been able to handle herself. For that he could be grateful, and too bad for anyone who thought JJ was a pushover. They had her all wrong, and as far as he was concerned, only his hands should be on her from now on. If it happened again, and Dave was around, the guy wouldn't only have a broken nose, he'd be lucky if he lived. And with that, Dave went back to work, leaving his sleeping beauty by herself.


	15. Chapter 15

Rossi had left a sleeping, injured JJ in her room. The woman on drugs or alcohol certainly lost all her inhibitions, that was for sure. He rounded up Prentiss and a pair of scissors, and they set back to the room to try and get JJ into more comfortable clothes. He made a quick stop by his room to grab a t-shirt, figuring it would be easy to get JJ into, and be comfortable. Prentiss was actually shocked that JJ had hit the guy hard enough to fracture her hand, and when Rossi told her the whole story of the ass-grabbing, she was shocked at how dumb the guy was, and agreed that he definetely deserved it. They arrived at JJ's room to discover her in the same position he'd left her. They got to work, and finally got her shirt cut and slipped it off. Rossi, for the sake of decorum, tried to keep his eyes focused on anything but the scene at hand. Once accomplished, they laid her back down to sleep, left the room and went to the hotel bar, both needing to unwind. They sat to discuss the case, the excitement of the day having pushed the case to the side, much to their dismay. They had a job to do, and that idiot had certainly screwed it up to the point that BAU involvement may not continue.

"Has Hotch decided what to do?" he asked Emily.

"Not officially. He's very displeased on how this whole thing has been handled, especially in light of this morning. We're still working the case, but at this point, we've lost a lot of valuable time."

At that, Rossi's phone rang. He looked at the caller I.D. , seeing it was JJ, she must have come around. He answered the phone.

"Dave, how the hell did I get into this shirt? Where are you? What's going on, because I haven't got a clue!" an obviously distressed JJ screeched.

"Calm down, JJ, calm down! Prentiss and I helped to change you, we couldn't get your shirt over your hand cast. I grabbed a t-shirt from my room, it was big enough to get over your cast. The painkillers knocked you for a loop."

"Are you sure Prentiss helped to change me? Where is she?"

"She's sitting right beside me, we're in the hotel bar, discussing the case. You want to speak with her?"

"Put her on."

Rossi looked at the phone skeptically. The woman goes from practically attacking to him to freaking out about who changed her. He couldn't believe it! He handed the phone to Prentiss, who was chuckling while she sat there.

"JJ, yes, I changed you. No, Dave kept his eyes focused on the wall. I swear he did! Yes, well, these things happen. Rossi was much more respectful of you that douchebag this morning. Okay, here's Rossi!" Prentiss was close to splitting a gut from laughing at all the questions a worried JJ had asked her.

Rossi took the phone from Prentiss, giving her a worried look. "JJ, yes, I was a good boy, I didn't look, I promise!"

After a few more minutes of this back and forth, he finally got off the phone with her, giving Prentiss a confused look. "She sure gets excitable at times, doesn't she?"

"That's JJ." was all Prentiss said. They finished their drinks, and headed up to meet the confused blond. JJ on painkillers and drunk amused Rossi to no end, and apparently Prentiss got a kick out of it too.

Knocking on JJ's door, she granted them entrance, having been able to slip a robe over herself.

"Thanks, guys, I appreciate all the help you have given me. This just hasn't been my day." JJ told them.

"No problem, JJ, we don't mind. Anything for a friend." Rossi told her.

"JJ, you and painkillers don't mix. You're very amusing when you are on them, you know that? Or perhaps I should say, when you wake up from using them." Prentiss laughed.

"Thanks for your concern, Emily, I appreciate it." JJ said sarcastically.

"Anytime, JJ, anytime. Now, if you're okay, I'm heading to my room. This has been a hell of a day." With that, Prentiss said goodbye, and was out the door, leaving JJ and Rossi standing there.

"How are you feeling?" Rossi asked her gently.

"Pretty good. I was out of it, wasn't I? God, I get so embarrassed sometimes. Thanks for getting Emily to help change me."

"Well, I was going to start, but I had to find some scissors, and I figured if I had Emily here, your virtue would be safe." Rossi chuckled.

"Dave, you could have my virtue anytime you want." JJ said under her breath.

"What was that, JJ?" Rossi thought he'd heard her, but wasn't positive.

"I said, with you, my virtue is yours." JJ reached upwards, drawing Rossi's face down to hers, giving him a deep kiss.

"Well, be that as it may, my dear, that day will come. And I'm not doing it here in a hotel room with you injured. One day, sweetheart, one day. I'm not rushing anything with you, it's too good to ruin it. Besides, I'm going to court you the proper, old-fashioned way."

"Well, Mr. Rossi, I didn't realize what a gentleman you truly are. This doesn't mean we can't kiss like we mean it, does it?"

"Does this answer your question?" He wrapped his arms tightly around her, bringing her in for a deep, long kiss.

"Oh, yes that answers my question. All in good time, my dear, all in good time. And by the time you change your mind and want me as much as I want you right now, you'll never want to be with anyone but me." JJ said in her most seductive voice.

"I already don't want anyone else. If the previews are as good as the feature, I will want many, many sequels." Dave reached in and kissed her again.

They settled on the bed, JJ's head resting on his chest, her hand propped on him also. Never had JJ imagined this with Rossi. She felt so content just being with him, as if they'd been meant to be together. JJ was falling deeper and deeper for him, and was truly glad that she'd followed her dreams and gotten together with him. He meant the world to her already, and was happy just to be with him. Everything she'd ever wanted lay with this man, and he was making her dream come true.


	16. Chapter 16

JJ was very excited, Rossi and her were spending the weekend at one of the best hotels in New York City. Rossi's publisher was getting married, and Dave was going to the wedding and reception because they were good friends, and he wanted to. He'd asked JJ to come with him, and it happened that it was Will's custody time with Henry, so she was free the whole weekend. Since their relationship still wasn't out in the open, the team knew that Rossi was going away for the weekend, but not JJ. She kept to herself, not telling anyone her plans. Dave also told her to go wild, buy herself a new dress, giving her his credit card, wanting to do that for her. He told her it didn't matter the cost, he wanted her to feel special. This was going to be their weekend together.

They'd been dating for a month and a half now, and as ever, Rossi had been a gentleman. JJ wanted to change that this weekend. For JJ had come to the realization that she'd fallen in love with the man, and was planning on telling him this. Her hand had healed completely, and JJ had started falling more and more for the man, the way he'd taken care of her after she'd broken her hand. In a way, JJ was glad that Rossi had put off any kind of physical relationship, she knew now that her feeling were genuine, not just brought on by lust. Yes, she still wanted him, but more importantly, she wanted to be with him more than just physically. She loved the man deeply, she had discovered.

Finished packing, she was awaiting the arrival of Dave, they were flying up to NY, and he was driving them to the airport. Shortly thereafter, she heard a knock and leaped up, ready to go. She opened the door, and gave him a huge smile and then a hug. It was hard for JJ, she loved to touch him, all the time, and it made work a little awkward, when all she wanted to do was hold his hand.

"You ready to go, babe?" Rossi smiled at her.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

And with that, they were out the door, loading her things into his SUV. The flight didn't take too long, and before JJ knew it, she was ensconced in a penthouse suite in one of the best hotels in NYC. She loved it, loved the man she was with, watching him tip the bellhop, before he turned and joined her in looking out the window. He came up behind her, wrapped his arms tight around her waist, and kissed her neck.

"Do you like this room, hon? The view is spectacular."

"Dave, it's wonderful. I've never been in a nicer room."

"I'm glad. I'm sorry we don't have a lot of time to do other things while we're here, we should have taken Friday off and come up here early. The wedding is at 4, so we'll need to start getting ready soon."

"Well, you know how long it takes me to look spectacular, Mr. Rossi. Because my appearance is everything." JJ joked with him.

"Hon, you could wear nothing but my shirt and still look spectacular. " His lips found her neck again, and JJ realized they'd never get to the wedding if this kept up. She didn't take kindly to this kind of teasing, and if he was intent on making her so ready for him, he was eventually going to have to come through. She escaped his arms, and began looking for her makeup bag, wanting to get prepared.

"You'll be pleased with the end results, I'm sure. The dress I picked is wonderful." and JJ thought to herself, what's underneath isn't half bad either. At that she chuckled and escaped, starting to get ready for this event.

By the time they were ready to go, JJ had transformed herself into a glamor girl, one that took Rossi's breath away when she presented herself to him.

"You like?" JJ asked him, picking up the dress and twirling for him. It was an ice blue number, strapless, and she'd bought a matching wrap to go around it. The wedding was a dressy affair, and JJ hoped it would suffice.

"I like very much." Rossi went in for a kiss, only to have JJ escape him, teasing him about messing up the makeup she'd taken so long to put on.

"Later, sweetheart, later!" she giggled.

He growled, but realized it was time to go. Lucky for them, Dave had booked the suite in the hotel the reception was taking place in, but they were taking a limo to the cathedral, so they left. It was a beautiful ceremony, Dave proud of his friend, honored to be invited to be a part of the celebration. Before they knew it, they were at the reception, where JJ avoided the alcohol, except for one glass of champagne. If what she wanted to do tonight was going to happen, she wanted all her faculties intact, not just doing it because of inebriation.

They got up to dance, a slow song, one where he got to hold her close. As they swayed to the music, she wrapped her arms around his neck, looked at him and let the words she'd finally figured out she wanted him to know.

"I love you." she said simply, looking him in the eyes, wanting him to know how she felt about him.

He looked at her intently, his heart warmed by her words. She loved him, those three words he knew she meant more than anything. He bent down to kiss her, not caring if he messed up her makeup. They continued to sway to the music, and he whispered to her, "I love you, too. For longer than you've ever known."

"Let's get out of here, Dave. Please."

He looked at her, and realized that this was the night, he would be making love to the woman he loved and who loved him. He took her hand to lead her through the crowd, making his way to the groom to give him their best wishes and to say goodbye. With that, they were out of there, and swiftly went up the elevator, hurrying to their room. They entered, and with that, Dave wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a deep kiss, full of urgency, stronger than any kiss he'd given her before. She returned the favor, her hands going everywhere, and this time he didn't mind.

Before she knew it, she felt the zipper on her dress being dragged down, while Dave feathered the hollow of her throat with kisses. JJ felt a moan escape her lips, throwing her head back. The dress slipped to the floor, leaving her in her lace bustier and panties. Dave took a step back, surveying her in her lingerie, loving the look with her still in her high heels. He took off his jacket, and she undid his tie. He had entirely too many clothes on for her taste, she wanted him as bare as she was. She began to unbutton his shirt, her fingers splaying across his chest. He pulled her in for a kiss again, grabbing her butt to haul her legs up on to him, which she wrapped tightly around him. He backed her against the wall, still kissing her, wanting to possess her and make her his.

She wrestled the rest of his shirt off, nipping at his neck, leaving her mark on him. Her legs found their way to the floor again, and they made their way to the bed, where she started work on his belt buckle. Disposing of it, she lowered his pants, and by the looks of it, he was more than ready for her. They fell to the bed, Dave working the bustier off of her, revealing herself to him for the first time. He gently kissed her all over, working her up, til she couldn't take it anymore. Disposing of what was left of their clothing, he took her slowly at first, building up a rhythm until both exploded in pleasure.

JJ whispered again that she loved him, as he lay on top of her, spent from their efforts. His breathing was ragged, his breath warm on her chest. He captured her lips in another kiss, hoping that the wait had been worth it. He spooned up next to her, her hands playing with his chest hair, hardly believing the beautiful woman that lay beside him loved him.

They lay in silence for awhile, kissing and enjoying their time together. Finally, JJ spoke. "Dave, I know I was impatient before, but I have to say, I think waiting made this all the better."

"I know sweetheart, I know. And it's all the better because we love each other, and it's not just sex. I've never felt this way about anyone before, and I've ruined a lot of relationships because it's all been based on sex. This way, I know you love me, and it's better than anything I've ever thought I've had in the past." He kissed her again, hoping that she realized the method to his madness, why he'd put her off for so long.

"Well, I hate to say it, but it was worth the wait." With that, JJ began feathering kisses on to his chest, and they began proving their love to each other once again, the two of them complete with one another.


	17. Chapter 17

Teased by the light filtering in through the curtains, JJ awakened slowly, then drifted in and out, savoring the warmth of the covers pulled up to her nose and of the body pressed against her back. She snuggled against him, reveling in the feel of him, hardly believing that she'd finally made love to David Rossi. It was everything she'd hoped it would be, much better in fact. He was skilled at what he did, that was for sure. She smiled, very happy laying next to him. She peeked under the covers and realized that she lay there naked beside him, not normally something she would do, but he made her feel so good about herself, and had nothing to hide. JJ had some body issues since Henry was born, it had taken her a little while to lose the weight, but Dave had done nothing but compliment her on her beautiful body last night. He made her feel good, about herself, about him. She started stroking his arm up and down, trying to get some kind of reaction out of him.

Dave pressed closer to her, fanning his large hand over her belly, slowly awakening to the fact that JJ lay beside him, and that they'd had quite the night. He reached up and kissed her, soft and persuasive, until a rush of desire caused her to surrender to him again. They wrapped around each other, both needing the other badly. Waiting had been fine, but now that this door had opened to both of them, they couldn't get enough of each other. He grabbed her butt, lifting her hips higher into him, grinding themselves together. She arched her body up to him, groaning as his mouth left hers to travel lower, seeking her breasts. She moaned as he worked on her, she grabbed his head, pulling him ever closer to her. When it was done, he collapsed on top of her, kissing her chest, not wanting to let her go. Their relationship had changed last night, and they were starting to meld, body and soul.

They drifted off to sleep again, wrapped in each others arms again. Her final thought before she drifted off again was how she loved laying with him and how well she fit right there next to him. Before she knew it, the next time they awakened, it was nearing 10, the latest either of them had slept in a very long time. With their jobs, it was usually early starts and late nights, with very little relaxing time. To lay there with each other, it was a luxury.

"So, what do you want to do the rest of the day? I can take you anywhere you want to go in this town, let me show you around." Dave asked her.

"Well, I don't know Dave. I'm very happy where I am right now. I could stay here forever." JJ teased him.

"Be that as it may, missy, but don't blame me if you don't get to see New York City!"

"All I want to see is in this room right in front of me." JJ said.

"Well, the view isn't bad from where I'm laying either." Rossi kissed her again, leaving both of them breathless and wanting more.

"You know, you're spoiling me for waking up alone in the future, don't you? I love waking up this way." JJ told him.

"You're spoiling me too. I've not woken up to anyone in a long time and enjoyed it. Usually, I want to escape as soon as possible." he chuckled.

"Well, you better not want to be getting away from me, Rossi. I'm not ready to give this up yet, we've just started." JJ chuckled.

"Jen, I've got you now, and I'm never letting go." he reached in and gave her a very deep kiss.

"I'm not going anywhere, hon. I can't believe my dreams lead me to this." JJ said aloud, then realized what she'd said.

"Your dreams? What were you dreaming about, sweetheart?" Rossi questioned, although he knew the answer already.

JJ stalled, she couldn't believe what she had let slip out. Finally, she decided to come clean.

"Dave, I had a little problem with me dreams. My imagination got the best of me, and all I could do when we were on away cases was think of you. And I mean, not just think of you, but _think_ of you." With that, JJ indicated the bed. "And I have to say, as good as my dreams were, you are much better in reality."

JJ felt relieved to have finally admitted her dreams, they'd been somewhat of a burden to her, wanting Dave and not being able to have him. And now, her dream was her reality, and she loved it.

"So, I'm your dream man, huh? I feel honored." He took her hand, kissing it. JJ blushed furiously, having finally admitted to him that she'd had dreams of him.

"Well, it may also have been the reason I split up with Will. Things weren't the same with him, I figured, if I was dreaming about another man, especially when he was making love with me." JJ finally admitted to him totally.

"So, you're saying you dreamed of me, couldn't stop thinking of me, and left Will because of this?" Rossi said, as he continued kissing upwards on her arm.

"Yeah, you may have been indirectly responsible for me, ending things with him."

"Well, I can't say I'm displeased with this news. You don't know how long I've wanted to hold you in my arms. And I can't say that I'd ever want to let it go." he finally reached her shoulder, continuing to kiss along her collarbone.

"Well, it gave me an incentive to finally get out of a situation where I'm not sure I should have been in."

"Straight to my arms, sweetheart, straight to my arms. And I have to say, I love having you here." his kissing finally reaching her lips.

"I love you, Dave, I just wished I hadn't wasted so much time, before my brain finally listened to what my heart had been telling me." JJ enthusiastically kissed him back.

"Well, then I think we'll just stay right here, making some of your dreams come true."

And with that, JJ and Dave made use of the rest of their time in NY, not wanting to head back to reality, happy in their dream world with one another.


	18. Chapter 18

JJ and Dave flew back to Washington later that afternoon. Henry was due to be deposited at her door at 6:30, and as much as she would have preferred spending the rest of the day laying around with Dave, her son came first. They hustled to the airport, barely making it in time, and as they settled into their seats, JJ breathed a sigh of relief. Their relationship had changed once again, and JJ was content to hold his hand the rest of the flight.

They touched down shortly after 5:30, and Dave drove them to her place. He parked in the garage, next to hers, in somewhat of a routine of theirs. She'd never been alone again when Will dropped her son off, one of her friends was always their, or with her when she dropped Henry at Will's It was an unspoken agreement between them all, protecting their friend. JJ was grateful for it, even though she hadn't been alone that first time, he'd never tried anything like that again. Once she dropped her bag inside the door, Rossi whirled her around, bringing her in for a kiss once again.

"You know, you are going to make it even harder to keep this relationship secret, with the fact that you can't seem to not want to kiss me every five minutes." JJ giggled to him.

"Hey, you are the one who pursued me for how long now? You are the one who opened up these floodgates." he chuckled back.

"True. And I never want to stop them again. I'm just not ready yet. I mean, I think Garcia might know, because she knew about my dreams, but she'd pick up on what's between us no problem. Especially since the two of us can't keep our hands off one another."

"Well, me being a handy man is a recent development. You've been pretty handy with me since the time I brought you to my house when you managed to plaster yourself on the plane heading home. Talk about an octopus, your hands were all over me!" Rossi chuckled.

JJ went a shade of white at that, having no memory of that whatsoever.

"Dave, what did I do that night? What did you do that night? Why haven't you told me about this before!" JJ started to panic.

"Calm down, sweetheart, calm down! Nothing happened that night, I wouldn't take advantage of a drunk woman. The offer was there, but I couldn't do that to you. You mean too much to me."

"But you never told me! God, I'm so embarrassed now!" JJ trembled, unsure of herself.

"JJ, sweetheart, I brought you home with me, took you up to the guest room, you may have gotten a little handy, and we may have actually had our first kiss that night. But I swear, nothing happened beyond kissing. And you mentioning that I was more fun in your dreams."

JJ couldn't believe they were having their first fight. And over this. And Rossi knew about her dreams long before she'd admitted to them. She was definetely unsettled about this. Why hadn't he told her sooner?

"So, if you knew I was dreaming about you, and we'd kissed long before our first date, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, I was thrilled you felt something for me. It's been damn hard, just thinking of you with Will. You were hands off to me. I've wanted you for so long, but god, you were the forbidden land. And then, I find out you wanted me. You dreamed about me. And god help me, I wanted you that night, but I couldn't do that and feel good about myself, using you while you were drunk. So be mad at me, if you want, but know, that's why I held off on having a physical relationship with you. I knew you wanted me, but I wanted your heart too." Rossi let it all out.

JJ stared at him, listening to his confession. Something clicked in her brain, how good a man she had standing there before her, one that had loved her for so long, but wouldn't take advantage of her. She simply went to him and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. There they stood for the longest time, just holding one another. When JJ finally lifted her head, she kissed him gently on the lips.

"You really know how to take care of a girl, don't you Rossi. Thank you for taking care of me that night. I should have admitted some of this to you long ago."

"Ah, JJ, I should have told you that we kissed that night. But I thought, you'd tell me when you were ready , and I didn't want you upset and scared that we may have gone too far when you were drunk. I love you too much to hurt you." He kissed her again.

They stood there for awhile again, til the chiming of the doorbell brought reality crashing back for them. They separated from one another, JJ taking a look at the clock. Where had the time disappeared? It was 6:30, and it must be Will and Henry. JJ took a quick look in the mirror, her face was flushed from her activities with Rossi. She hoped it wouldn't look too weird to Will, she really didn't want to discuss anything with him. She opened the door to him, excited to see her son once again.

"Hey, JJ, how's it going? Henry's been teething these last couple of days, so he had his last Tylenol at 4, you can give it to him again if he needs it after 8." Will told her.

In the last month, this was how the communication between the two of them had been, nothing except that which concerned Henry. For that, JJ was grateful. The less time she spent with the man she had thought she might have loved at one time, the better. JJ took Henry from Will, and smiled. She thanked Will for dropping him off, and went to turn and go back into the house. She stopped when he suddenly asked her one more thing.

"JJ, it's been 2 months now. Are you ever going to give me a second chance? You won't talk to me, we only talk about Henry, but you said you needed to work some things out. I've given you enough time. Are we ever going to be together again?" his voice sounded hopeful, and JJ felt something akin to an ache start in her heart. She turned to face him, the inevitable end now coming.

"Will, I'm sorry, but no. I've done a lot of thinking since we parted, and no. It wasn't working for me, and I'm not coming back." she told him bluntly.

"Why not? You never did give me a real reason as to why you wanted to break up. One day, we were happy, the next, you're phoning me you want to split up. Why?" Will's voice was breaking.

"Will, I, I, just, no." she stuttered, holding her son closer. "It's nothing you did, it was all me. I'm not the woman for you. Trust me, I'm not."

"But I still love you, JJ." he pleaded.

"Then why did you try to hurt me? If you loved me as much as you said, why would you ever leave bruises on me like you did? That's not love!" JJ turned, wanting this conversation to end, desperately.

Will followed her further into the house "I was out of my head! One day, we're happy, I have a girlfriend, a life, a home. The next, you leave, I see my son half the time, and I have nothing! You left me with nothing! And here you are, with this fancy house, your job, and Henry and it's like we never happened at all!"

"Will, it's not happening. I think it's time for you to leave, I'm not going to discuss this anymore. And I'm not coming back to you. It's done, over with. I've moved on, and it's time for you to move on too!" JJ marched into the living room, wondering where the hell Rossi was. She was agitated with Will, and starting to feel uncomfortable with him there. Will grabbed her wrist and twirled her around to face him.

"Why do you get to decide if we're through? I didn't want to break up, that was all you! And why won't you give me another chance!" Will was shouting by now, and JJ was beginning to worry.

Just then, Rossi appeared out of nowhere. He hadn't wanted to get involved, but he couldn't bear to listen to him shout at JJ anymore.

"Will, you need to calm down. You're scaring JJ and your son."

The voice coming out of nowhere had the desired effect on Will. He stopped, turning to see who was speaking.

"What are you doing here?" he spat out at Rossi.

"Protecting JJ. Your little manhandling there awhile ago scared the bejesus out of JJ, and I can see why. You haven't changed. I think maybe, you should just leave before this goes any further. Because I can tell you now, you lay a hand on her again, you are going to be in a world of hurt, I guarantee it." Rossi spoke in a completely calm tone, belying the anger underneath.

"Are you sniffing around my woman? Or maybe, you're the reason she decided she didn't want to be with me anymore? You been screwing her for awhile?" Will turned his fury to Rossi now.

"Will, let me tell you, don't speak about JJ in such a derogatory manner. I haven't been screwing her for awhile, and I'm not sniffing around her, as you so elegantly put it. But I can see exactly why she wouldn't want to be around you anymore. It's too bad you two had a child together before she got to see your true colors come out."

Will tried to take a swing at Rossi then, but the older man deftly sidestepped the swing, grabbed his arm and brought it around behind his back, effectively controlling the younger man. He lead him to the front door and threw him out, slamming the door behind him.

He went to JJ then, holding her face in his hands "Are you okay? Did he hurt you or Henry?"

"No, he didn't, but I think he wanted to. Thank god you were here. I swear, he does want to hurt me, and one day, I think he will." JJ shuddered.

"Don't worry babe, I'll make sure you are never alone with him ever again. Somebody will be with you whenever you want." He kissed her gently on the lips, worried that Will wouldn't give up so easily.

"As long as you're beside me, Dave, I'm okay. But it makes it hard with the custody arrangement. There is always the potential to be alone with him."

"Not anymore. One of us will take Henry to him and pick him up. I'll make sure of it."

With that, he pulled her into his arms, careful of Henry, determined that no one would hurt JJ again.


	19. Chapter 19

JJ managed to put the events of Sunday night behind her, once again, but Rossi couldn't. He had seen the fury in Will's eyes, and knew that if he hadn't stepped in, he would have hurt JJ in some way, ways that Dave did not even want to think about. Will looked like such a benign man, as if he couldn't hurt a fly, but he had something buried within him apparently that was starting to peek out. Rossi worried deeply for the woman he'd fallen in love with, fearing for her. Thankfully, the anger wasn't directed at Henry, but still, he'd tried twice now to hurt JJ when she was holding Henry. If anything, the boy would end up being collateral damage in his fathers' bid to hurt his mother.

Rossi tried to shake it off also, but he was worried. Deep down, he was absolutely convinced something bad was going to happen, and he did not know if he would be able to stop it when it did. He watched JJ at work, out through his office window, as she did her job, talking with Morgan and Prentiss, laughing at something one of them had said. How she'd managed to completely captivate him in so little time, he had no clue, but she had. While the end result could have ruined their weekend, after Will had been thrown out, he'd stayed the night with her, holding her protectively in his arms the rest of the night. They'd left for work separately, still determined to keep their relationship secret, but had cornered Prentiss, Morgan and Garcia, told them of the events the previous night. Very quickly, JJ didn't have to worry about drop offs or pickups alone again. They worked it out amongst themselves as to a schedule, and JJ had her protection then.

Going to her office, she surveyed the stacks of files, needing to concentrate on her work and get down to business. She needed to throw herself into her work, to get her mind off of Will. Yes, she had told him that she would think about it, but after that first pickup had gone so badly, she had thought he understood that things weren't going to work out between them. She blamed herself for him still holding out hope, because she should have been honest with him, told him she had no intention of coming back. And while she had made Rossi believe that she had put things behind her, she was deeply affected by it. She didn't regret leaving Will, not at all. Her dreams had simply put into motion events that she believed made her life better.

Her thoughts drifted to Rossi, and what had been a terrific weekend in New York. The man was good in bed, she'd give him that. Given his experience, she had been worried she might not be quite as _good_ in bed as him, but he'd been patient with her, and was a caring, generous man between the sheets. It wasn't like she was a virgin, no far from that, but she had to say, the man had brought out a side to her that she didn't know existed. Sure, it had taken this long to convince him that she needed him, but it wasn't her need that had changed his mind, it was the fact that she'd finally admitted to him that she loved him. That had made all the difference in the world apparently. The man held her heart, and she his. And now, with this drama with Will, she was afraid she'd lose this newfound part of her life.

Shoving the thoughts out of her brain for now, JJ got down to work, where she was ensconced til she got a phone call. It was Will. Shocked, she answered it, not believing he'd phoned her at work.

"What do you want, Will? Didn't you say enough last night? And why would you phone me here?" JJ rattled at him.

"JJ, I'm phoning to apologize. My actions were out of line last night. I've made a decision, and I just wanted you to know it. I'm moving back to New Orleans. I contacted my old boss last night, he says he has a position for me. I think it's for the best, I can't handle my emotions around you. I can't. And it hurts too damn much, seeing you moving on without me. I can't do this anymore." a heartbroken Will told her, not letting her get a word in.

"I scared myself, god knows what I traumatized you with. I'm not myself, anymore, and I need to get away from here, from you, if I'm going to move on with my life. And as long as I'm seeing you every few days, I'm going to want more. And I know you don't. I just need to get away."

"Will, what about your custody of Henry? He's your son, he needs his father." JJ said to him.

"I think we need to modify the arrangement, and as such, I've contacted a lawyer, we're going to write up a new custody arrangement. I don't know, I haven't thought that far ahead. I haven't been thinking clearly in two months, and I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm letting go, JJ. I can't have you, and I can't bear to see you move on. And I feel like I'm losing control and I'm going to hurt you. So, I just need to get out of here, away from you, even if I'm sacrificing my life with my son."

JJ was stunned, realizing the plans they'd made to protect her from Will wouldn't be needed. She had no idea what Will had discovered about himself in his thinking, but he must have thought long and hard to be going back to New Orleans. Inwardly, she felt relieved, as if a bit of her nightmare was ending. Another part was saddened, because regardless of anything else, Will had given her Henry and he'd been a part of her life.

"Well, whatever you think is best, Will. Let me know when you are leaving, you can have Henry again for awhile before you go. But just so you know, I won't be alone with you again, I'm sorry. You scared me last night, you truly did. But I won't keep your son from you. Just be aware though." JJ told him outright.

"That's why I'm leaving, JJ. If I scare you, then it isn't right. So, I need to get out of here. I'll talk to you later, bye." And like that, he ended the conversation before she could even say goodbye.

JJ just sat there, unbelieving of what he'd said. She stood up, wandered out of her office, and in through Rossi's door. She didn't knock, she just entered. He was sitting at his desk, working, but stood up when she came in. She went to him and embraced him, just needing to feel his arms around her. And then she burst into tears, for all that had happened, for the loss that her son would experience, just everything came to a head. He stood there, asking no questions, simply holding her in his arms while she cried.

When the tears subsided, he questioned her then, leading her to his couch to sit down. He put his arm around her, holding her close while she told him her story. At what he heard, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"So why are you crying, if he's leaving, JJ?" he asked her gently.

"I'm crying for Henry, Dave. I feel bad that his dad won't be around for him. I'm crying because I feel relieved that he's leaving. I'm just happy that he's going, I can't deal with him anymore. And I shouldn't feel this way, but I do."

"Babe, he didn't love you as much as you thought, if he can hurt you. Any man that hurts a woman, well, that isn't love. Your just lucky you got out before he really hurt you. And I know he didn't do it while you were together, but if he can do it now, I can guarantee it would have turned that way eventually. You're lucky he's leaving."

JJ got hold of herself, and got up to throw herself back into work. She needed to forget her personal life and get back on to her job. And so for the rest of the day, she forgot about her hurt, and the rest of the world, and focused on helping to end other people's hurt, because god knows that there were people who needed relief from their pain a lot more than she did.


	20. Chapter 20

The familiar click of the alarm clock mechanism heralded the beginning of yet another morning as the changing of the large, blinking red figures ushered in another day for JJ. She groaned inwardly, remembering what had went down yesterday. Although she should be happy that Will, was in effect, removing himself from her life, it bothered her that their son was going to be the one most affected. Maybe not now, but as he grew.

JJ groaned irritably at the unbearably upbeat melody currently invading her thoughts, trying to burrow further under the covers to hide from the unwelcome disruption as well as the cold that had invaded her bedroom. She reached out and irritably hit her alarm, angry and upset at the way things were turning out in her life at this particular moment. The only redeeming feature of it she could see was her relationship with Dave. And for the first time since she'd awakened this morning, she smiled, thinking of her _boyfriend_. That term sounded so juvenile, but yes, he was her boyfriend. Although they were together, they didn't spend every second together, and he'd gone home to Little Creek last night after their date, not pushing JJ for anything more. He figured she was in a vulnerable state right now, and refused to take advantage of her, much like the way that he'd been so gentlemanly throughout their relationship.

Finally burrowing her way out from beneath her covers, she made a dash for the bathroom, the coolness of the morning causing her to rush. She turned the thermometer up on her way, needing a little heat from when she came out of her shower. She sighed, thinking that if this was how her day began, it could only get worse.

A couple of hours later, she somehow found herself striding through the BAU, a wad of files hugged to her chest as she listened to Morgan talk incessantly about his latest conquest who seemed to be a nurse called Maggie. At least this week anyway.

"So, I'm thinking, maybe a nice candle lit dinner, some dancing … and then.. " he waggled his eyebrows suggestively and cleared his throat, chuckling at JJ's withering stare.

"You can stop there, thanks!" she held up her hand defensively and turned to walk up the stairs to her office, finding herself smiling somewhat aimlessly as Dave looked out from his office and caught her gaze. "I think I can fill in the rest of the details."

Derek shrugged and then suddenly elbowed her teasingly, "Aww, what's up hot-stuff? You need a boost in your love life lately?" he cajoled.

JJ cleared her throat uncomfortably and shifted the files in her arms, glancing casually at Dave as she bit back a small smile, "My love life is just fine," she smiled crookedly at Morgan and cocked her head, "thanks for your concern."

"Well, as the resident "Love Doctor" if you will..." Morgan began, smirking as JJ tried to escape him.

"Save it, Derek,"Rossi groaned, shaking his head in exasperation. Having seen JJ walking with Morgan, he'd come out of his office and fallen into this part of the conversation.

Morgan cast a cursory glance over his two coworkers and turned to go to his desk. "You two are just jealous of my natural prowess... wouldn't kill you two to you know,...actually go on a date sometime," he said incredulously. It sometimes amazed him how much a man with a rep like Rossi and a girl with looks like JJ could be so obtuse sometimes.

Seeing the angry glance from JJ and the befuddled one from Rossi, Morgan paused abruptly. He saw their expressions and cleared his throat, trying desperately to back pedal as he thought about JJ's ill-fated relationship she'd just ended with Will.

"I didn't mean anything, JJ, honest. I just meant, you've been broken up with Will for what, three months now? It may be time to move on, start dating again. And Dave, my man, I know you're good with the ladies, I'm sure you've had plenty of relationships. I just meant now might be a good idea for you two to get out there, get started on something. And no, I didn't mean with each other!"

Rossi sighed, exchanging amused smiles with JJ who appeared to be visibly shuddering as she had enough with this conversation. He knew that JJ was not prepared to discuss their relationship with their coworkers yet, and Morgan's whole conversation had kind of blindsided her. He could see she was itching to get out of there and escape to her office. Ending this, JJ turned and left, closing her office door behind her, shutting everyone out as she settled down to work.

Rossi turned, grinning at Dave, and headed down to grab a quick coffee, before he too ensconced himself back inside his office. He thought of JJ, and how tired she looked. He would have stayed with her last night, given what Will had told her the day before, but he'd headed home, giving her time and space to process the fact that Will was leaving the D.C. Area. Although Will had turned out to be a bit of a bastard, JJ had loved him at some point, at least enough to have a child with him. Too bad that he'd been unable to give JJ the space she'd needed to decide things for herself, and when she'd tried that, he'd turned violent on her. All in all, it was for the best that Will was getting out of this town, because if he tried anything ever again like he'd tried on that last visit, the man wouldn't be alive to try and touch JJ again.

He also realized that Will leaving town meant a change in JJ's and his relationship. No longer would they have evenings where it would be just the two of them, as JJ would be taking on responsibility full time for Henry. Not that it bothered him, well, at least that much. It had been nice, being able to date and combine family time, balancing the two. He'd just have to suck it and adjust to the fact that he now had an instant family. He couldn't say he minded that much, he loved Henry, he was a sweetheart of a boy.

In her office, JJ was hoping that nothing had been given away from her and Rossi. Yes, she loved Derek like a brother, it didn't mean she wanted him to know about her new relationship, given how badly her last one had turned out. She thought of Rossi, how sweet it was of him to come out of his office and attempt to put himself between Morgan and her, before JJ potentially slugged him Too close for comfort, that's all she had to say about what had just occurred.

JJ was relieved when the end of the day came, she wanted to escape the BAU and head for home. As of right now, she had a date with Rossi for tonight, and she could only hope it went a whole lot better than the day she'd had. It wasn't any one thing, just everything combined, the conversation with Derek having taken the cake. Always such a ladies man, and then the crack about dating. God, she loved him like a brother, but just wanted to smack him half the time. Exiting the building, she headed for home, happy to be seeing her man tonight, giggling at that thought.

She entered her home, and in record time was ready for her date. JJ settled on her couch, awaiting Dave's arrival. While waiting, she drifted off to sleep, and the dreams set in, although this time, it was a nightmare. Her imagination took over, and she dreamed that Will was there, and that there was no one to stop his attack this time. He'd set in on her, dragging her up to her room, where he'd attacked her physically. JJ awoke with a start, relieved it was just a dream. She'd never thought of Will being capable of that, that's why she was shocked that her imagination would lead her to a dream like that. However, she knew that her dreams had a way of coming true, so an unease settled over her. She tried to convince herself that Will's tendency towards hurting her was nothing to worry about, that she'd never be alone with him again. Considering that, she sincerely wished that this dream would not come true. After all, Will was leaving town shortly, nothing more to worry about. Pushing the mini-dream out of her mind, she was relieved when Dave arrived. She was determined to have fun tonight, this may be one of their last times getting time to themselves without Henry along, and although she would miss it, she was relieved she would have Henry with her more. And with that, they left on their date.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N This chapter is definetely rated M. Thanks to everyone who is still reading, I appreciate it. Thanks to those who've been reviewing, it means the world to me that you've taken the time to let me know you are enjoying this. As always, CM is not mine!**

JJ laughed, her throaty chuckle sending shivers up Dave's spine. He loved her laugh; the sound of it, how it twisted her full lips into a gorgeous smile; the way it made her eyes sparkle. Her head was titled slightly, causing a wave of silky blond hair to fall forward against the side of her cheek. Grinning, Dave watched as she casually started circling the rim of her wine glass with one finger. Sensing his eyes on her she glanced up, a mysterious smile creeping onto her lips.

"What?" she asked slowly.

Dave just shook his head slowly, his eyes locked on hers, the grin on his face growing wider. She loved how his smile crinkled the laugh lines near his eyes.

"Nothing. You just...you're amazing," he said matter-of-factly, before taking another sip of wine.

Smirking, JJ raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Mmm...you really are trying to get laid tonight, aren't you?"

Dave chuckled. "I won't lie," he said, resting one arm casually against the back of the couch. "The thought may have crossed my mind."

JJ nodded, running a hand through her hair.

"Well, keep playing your cards straight and who knows," she said nonchalantly, raising her hand to meet his. "Maybe you'll get lucky..." She smiled and bit her lip invitingly.

"Oh really?" Dave asked huskily, slowly running his fingers along her arm.

"Mmm hmm," JJ nodded, her skin tingling under his touch, a fuzzy burning feeling tightening her stomach. He always managed to do that to her; no matter what the gesture, whether it was kissing her or the way he discretely placed his hand on the small of her back at work. Just being near him got her going.

_God he looks good tonight, _she thought as he moved closer towards her. The brown of his eyes was captivating and was even more so tonight because of the black shirt he was wearing. _Wow...he smells so good, _JJ thought absently as his hand brushed her cheek before beginning to toy with her hair, gently wrapping it around his thumb.

"I did mean that though," he said softly, looking deep into her eyes. He always found himself lost in the deep blue of her eyes and intoxicated by her sweet scent. This close, he could see the flecks of darker blue in her eyes, her beautiful cheekbones in her face. There was no question; she was stunningly beautiful. And tonight had been no exception. Dave had practically melted when he'd seen her and hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of that low-cut, silk, crimson dress all night. Not that he'd wanted to.

JJ returned his gaze, a soft smile curling her mouth. Taking his wine glass she leaned forward and placed both glasses onto the coffee table. Turning back, she leaned into him, placing a hand on his broad chest and kissed him smiled against her supple lips and brought his arm down to wrap around her waist.

Bringing both hands up to either side of his face, JJ deepened the kiss and moaned with pleasure as she felt Dave's hand glide through her hair. She pushed him slightly so that he leaned back and then positioned herself on his lap, her hands encircling his neck. Grabbing his hair she pulled him closer, deeper. Dave shouldn't have been surprised by JJ's lead and he let her take charge, responding eagerly to her kiss. Breaking for breath, he buried his head into the nape of her neck, encouraged by a soft gasp that tickled his ear. Relishing the feel of his lips on her skin, JJ angled her head so that her hair fell over to one side, giving him more exposure to her neck. She nipped his ear gently before grazing a trail back to his mouth with her lips, as one hand slid down the side of his neck and started unbuttoning his shirt. Dave deepened the kiss even further, and began running a hand up her smooth thigh while the other pulled slowly at the zipper of her dress.

Dave was relatively relieved the evening had turned out as it had. When he'd picked JJ up for their date, he could have sworn that something was wrong, but whatever had happened had soon been forgotten. He'd taken JJ to his favorite restaurant again, and they'd ended up out at Little Creek. They never spent a whole lot of time out there, and Dave had wanted her to come to love the place like he did. So, even though it was night time, out there, they'd sat on his porch, watching the sun go down, holding each other close. When the evening chill had crept in, they'd went inside for some wine, and eventually to the situation that Dave was enjoying very much at the moment.

Her hands delved into his hair as the kiss deepened more. She whimpered when his lips left hers, only to moan as a shiver raced down her spine when his lips traveled down to her neck, and he sucked on her ear lobe and then nipped at the sensitive skin below.

It became a slow motion poetic ballet as she unbuttoned his shirt. He handled her lace covered breasts only momentarily, until he couldn't stand not tasting her flesh any longer. He deftly flicked the front closure of her bra and thanked God and the inventor of the front closure bra for the ease with which he could get to the treasure underneath. He stared reverently at the soft mounds for a few moments, and marveled at how her nipples peaked with him merely looking at them. He had no doubt as to his effect on JJ, but he still marveled at the changes in her body at the mere hint of his desire for her. He blatantly showed her his intentions when he shifted to lie between her legs and thrust his erection against her.

JJ had not been still. Her hands roamed Dave's back and backside, her hips undulated against his. She was mindless with the need to be one with her boyfriend. Intermittent moans and sighs were the only sounds she made. Her hands moved to his head and held him at her breasts, then moved to his pants, making quick work of the button and zipper.

Dave groaned and surged against her again when her warm hands made contact with his pulsing erection. Her hand began an easy rhythm, but her efforts were hampered by his pants. With an impatient whimper she moved her hands to his hips and slipped his pants and boxers down as far as she could.

"Dave, please," she pleaded, unable to move his pants down further. He moved away from her long enough to slip off his pants, throwing them onto the growing pile of clothing.

She watched as his body settled back down between her creamy white legs, and she threw her head back with a gasp as he surged against her lace covered crotch again and again.

"Oh Jesus," she cried out.

"The Lord can't help you, baby," he ground out between thrusts.

"Dave, please…I need you," she cried again, thrusting back against him

"Need me where?" He was toying with her.

"Oh God…Dave…,"

Her lips were claimed in a searing kiss. "Where baby?"

"I need you… inside me."

He smiled against her mouth. "My pleasure," he murmured as moved downward, placing kisses on the tips of her pebbled breasts, then down her stomach to her navel. He slipped his fingers in the waistband of her lace panties and slipped them down just far enough to expose her intimately.

He moved over her then and kissed her hard as he slipped inside her perfectly with a strong thrust. She arched her body against him, head thrown back, groaning at the sheer pleasure of having him inside her.

Dave began a slow and easy rhythm, moving out all the way before thrusting back inside. He alternated between suckling on her breasts and kissing her lips as they moved in perfect unison. As the pace grew, he slipped his hands underneath her bottom to bring her closer. Now she cried out at each and every exquisite thrust, her hands grasping for purchase, fisting the blanket in her hands. He sensed the oncoming of her orgasm when he felt her body begin to contract, saw her body begin to go taut underneath him, heard her breath catch and hold. He covered her lips with his to drown her scream. She ground her hips against his, prolonging her orgasm and he quickened his pace, their bodies slapping against each other as he sought completion. Without warning he reached his peak. He called out her name as he came, drawing out her name against her palm, which she'd placed against his mouth as soon as he began to call out.

He collapsed bonelessly on top of her, then moved to her side as he gathered her in his arms, their heartbeats returning to normal. He kept one hand over her nicely rounded bottom, keeping them intimately joined as they softly kissed.

"I love you so much," JJ whispered, nuzzling her face into his neck.

He stroked her mussed hair, "I love you too, baby," He murmured in reply.

After a few moments he slipped from her body and grabbed the other blanket to cover their nude bodies. It wasn't long before both of them fell asleep. JJ slept comfortably in his arms, the nightmare of her earlier nap not revisiting her, content to lay with her lover, safe in his arms.


	22. Chapter 22

In retrospect, JJ should have paid as much attention to her nightmares about Will, as she had her dreams about Rossi. Because as much as things between her and Rossi had occurred, things were heading full tilt to an occurrence between her and her baby's daddy.

Rossi knew of JJ's dreams about Will, had held her several times on nights spent together, when she'd wakened from another one of the nightmares. JJ shook it off, however, refusing to give into fears about him. She truly believed he was leaving for New Orleans, and her nightmares would end when he left. However, unbeknown to her, JJ's secret life with Rossi had been exposed to Will, and he was definetely angry and upset with her.

Will had taken to watching JJ's house after the last fight, where Rossi had tossed him out. He was sure something was going on between the two, and even though he'd let JJ think he was leaving town soon, he'd held off. In effect, he'd begun stalking her, figuring out her patterns, laying in wait to get her alone, all the while pretending to be a good dad and that he was going to back off and move to New Orleans. On one of his "stalking expeditions", he'd watched Rossi pull in to JJ's garage, and then not leave til the next morning. Convinced now, more than ever, that Rossi was the reason HIS JJ had left him, he decided then and there to rectify the situation. JJ would be his, again, no matter the cost. So he started planning, working towards reclaiming his prize.

JJ, however, just got on with her new life. Dave and her grew closer and closer, still not revealing anything about their relationship, and for the first time, JJ was content and happy. It was all about to be swept out from under her though. Will had taken to following her, especially when he didn't have Henry with him. He knew what nights she spent alone, and when she wasn't. And he'd managed to find a way to get into her home, without her knowing it.

One night, he was finally ready to take action. He had everything planned out, where he was going to go, what he was going to do, and how he was going to take her. And after he watched Rossi leave one night, and the lights go out upstairs, he slipped into action. He quietly entered her home, sneaking up to what he'd determined to be her room. He had chloroform with him, and he slipped silently into her room. He didn't think of what he was ruining by doing this, he only knew he was driven by a need and an anger to possess JJ once again. He forgot about his son, briefly, who was sleeping in a room near to his mother. All he could thing about was his own selfish needs.

Will stood back and watched JJ sleep. He thought about how she'd broken his heart, how she'd betrayed him by becoming involved with Rossi. He felt angry that she'd left him, not caring that it wasn't what he wanted. He stepped forward, rag in hand, and clamped it over JJ's face. She came to with a start, struggling with the hand that was holding a cloth to her. She thrashed about, desperately trying to get away, but the chloroform soon took effect, and her struggling ended. When she was unconscious, Will swept her up, and carried her from the room.

Heading down the stairs, he seen her keys sitting near the door, and took them. Having parked far enough away, so as not to be noticed, he had planned earlier that JJ's vehicle would be his escape vehicle. When he got far enough away, he was going to switch plates, and hopefully be undetected for awhile, enough time to escape to where no one would find the two of them. He laid her in the backseat, and quickly tied her hands behind her back, and put a gag over her mouth. He covered her with a blanket, and pulled out of the garage, forgetting his son remain alone in the house, and that he'd managed to change several people's lives with the results of his jealousy and hate.

The next morning, JJ didn't turn up for work. Concern coursed its way through Rossi's veins, it wasn't like JJ at all. If she was going to be late, she would have told him. He desperately tried phoning, but it went straight to voice mail every time. He couldn't stand it any longer, his fears getting the better of him. Going out into the bullpen, he seen Morgan standing there, and decided to take him with him to check out JJ's place.

"Morgan, JJ hasn't shown up for work. She's not answering her phone, and I'm worried about her. Would you go with me to check out her place, see if anything is up? It's not like JJ to not let someone know if she's not going to be here." he said as calmly as possible, refusing to let his fear show.

Morgan looked at Rossi, a grim look to him. He knew that JJ was afraid of Will, and from the vibe Rossi was giving off, it seemed like something bad was up. Going there would either confirm or allay it. "Sure, man. I'm up for going to check this out."

Going by the daycare first, they determined she hadn't dropped Henry off, either. Her car hadn't been spotted entering Quantico, so with that determined, they headed to JJ's place. The first thing they noticed when they go there was the garage door wide open, JJ's car missing. Entering the house through the garage entrance, they were greeted by the hoarse cries of Henry, screaming upstairs. Both men flew up the stairs, and into Henry's rooms, seeing the red-faced child that had been crying for so long. Dave took the boy into his arms, which started to sooth him, but the boy was hungry and needed changed. Knowing that JJ would never leave her child like that, they went back out into the hall, and headed to what they knew to be JJ's room. The site of a struggle greeted them, but no JJ.

"I'm going to call this in, man. I'll leave you with Henry, til the others get here." a dejected Morgan said to Dave.

JJ was missing, and they had a pretty good idea who was responsible for this. What they didn't know however, was how long JJ had been missing, and how much of a headstart her kidnapper had. And Dave felt like his whole world had exploded, and he realized how desperately he did love her. And he feared he might never see her again.


	23. Chapter 23

**a/n this is a particularly bad chapter for JJ, one with some violence. No Rossi interaction, but not to fear, Rossi will be in the next one. I hope this doesn't make anyone uncomfortable, and I'm setting up the next part of the story with this chapter. **

JJ started to come around, her head pounding. She realized she was bound and gagged. Panic started to kick in, and she struggled against her bonds, bringing the attention of her captor to her. Her eyes wide in fear, she realized that the man behind the wheel of the vehicle was none other than Will. He looked at her and laughed, causing her to shiver.

"Doesn't feel so great to be at the whim of somebody else now, does it?" he said cruelly.

JJ blinked here eyes shut. She didn't see or hear her son, so she felt a deep stroke of fear, wondering what Will had done to him. She felt she had to remain calm, because panicking would only draw his attention, and JJ was positive she did not want that. She had never thought that Will would ever do something like this. The strong, but quiet cop, the father of her child, had kidnapped her, and god knows what else he intended to do with her. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be pretty, she could feel it.

JJ opened her eyes, trying to see something, anything outside the windows. Mostly just sky, from her viewpoint though, nothing to help determine where she was. She felt she was not on a big highway, probably because he avoided anyplace where a truckdriver could look down and see her bound body. She also determined that she was in her own vehicle, wondering why he stole it. JJ had absolutely no idea where she was. She wondered if the team noticed her missing yet, wondered how long she had been knocked out. She thought back to last night. Rossi had left around 11, and she'd gotten ready for bed, and been actually in bed by 11:30. Since it was light now, she figured he had to have kidnapped her somewhere around midnight.

She had no clue where he might be taking her, but it would have to be somewhere isolated, she could feel that. She wasn't going to cooperate with him, and he probably knew that if she had an opportunity that she would run from him as soon as she could. JJ's wrists were hurting her, he'd tied the bonds tight, so escape was impossible right now. If they ever got to where he intended, she might try then to talk to him, get him to ease the tightness, but for now, she was stuck.

JJ lay her head back down and closed her eyes. With no known destination, and an inability to turn her body, she didn't want to look at Will. Disgust coursed through her, unbelieving that she actually thought she'd loved this man at one point. If she ever got out of this alive, she wouldn't be responsible for her actions, she'd swear to that. This man was going to pay for kidnapping her.

Pretty soon, the vehicle turned onto a bumpy road. JJ figured they'd been driving somewhere in the vicinity of 8 to 10 hours, given the fact it was light out now. That ruled out being near New Orleans, which is where she thought he originally intended to take her. That was his territory, and would know it best.

He pulled up somewhere and stopped the vehicle. Looking back at JJ, he said to her "The fun is just beginning now, sweetheart."

JJ shivered at that, no idea what he had in store for her. The door swung open, and he reached in for her, roughly pulling her out. She looked around her, and seen trees everywhere, and a hunting cabin. _Terrific_ she thought to herself. She could scream herself silly, and no one would hear her. She truly was on her own. He picked her up, and headed towards the cabin. Once inside, he traveled quickly through it, and dumped JJ on a bed at the back of the lodge. He left her there, and disappeared, leaving her alone with her thoughts once again. She had a pretty good idea of what Will was going to do, and a tear trickled down her cheek at the thought.

Will came back in the room, and noticed the tear on her face. "What, tears, JJ? Why would you cry? I'm only going to treat you the same way you treated me. Use you and then dump you somewhere. I mean, god knows why I ever thought I meant anything to you. Exactly how long have you been screwing Rossi? The entire time he's been back on the team? Is Henry even mine?" He grabbed the cloth from around her mouth.

The first words out of her mouth were "Where's Henry? My god Will, you didn't hurt him, did you? Where is my son?"

He ignored her question, instead focusing on his earlier question, "Well, is he?" Will demanded.

"Henry is yours, Will. You know he is. How could you ever think he's not yours? Just tell me where he is!" JJ croaked.

"How long have you been screwing Rossi, I asked you." Will said with a tone of menace in his voice.

Knowing that he knew, JJ told him. "About 3 weeks now. I never had a relationship with him before I left you Will, I swear it. Henry is yours."

"Slut. He's why you left me, isn't he?"

"No, Will, no, I swear to you, Dave isn't the reason I left you. I just needed to figure things out! That's the only reason."

"So, if you needed to figure things out, why didn't you come back to me? I love you JJ, you can't change that."

"But I don't love you anymore, Will. I'm sorry, I just don't!"

JJ was surprised by the backhand across her face, more tears sprung to her eyes.

"Say you love me JJ, or I swear, the next one will be worse." he shouted at her.

Not knowing what to do, but not wanting another slap, JJ decided to play along. "Alright, Will, I still love you. I'm just confused, alright?"

"That's better. I don't want to ever hear you say you don't love me again. We'll stay right here, til we get you straightened out. And don't you worry about Henry. I'm sure he's fine, by now."

He stood over her then, and began unbuckling his belt. JJ looked at him in fear, knowing what was coming, unbelieving of it. She worried about her son, what he meant "by now". He lay next to her, and began to kiss her softly on the neck, and JJ's tears began to fall once again. She tried to get away from him, but being bound, she didn't get very far. Her trying to roll away from him agitated him once again, and he hit her again, across the face, so JJ lay very still. Her mind detached from her body, she thought of the good things in her life, she seen Rossi's face, and very much wanted him to help her. She hoped he knew she was missing, and would be there soon, to save her.

Things didn't go exactly as planned for Will however. His anger was too great, and he couldn't "perform", so he took it out on JJ. He beat her, blaming her for his inability. JJ took the beating, there was nothing else she could do.

Afterwards,JJ lay staring at the wall. All life had drained from her, she just didn't care. She was in a lot of pain, and her face was swelling, she could feel it. He'd taken the ties off her hands, and now she just had one hand handcuffed to the bedpost, no way could she escape. He'd thrown a blanket over her when he was done, and disappeared for awhile, leaving JJ alone once again, a fact she welcomed. She worried for her son, that's the only thing she could feel. Right now, that worry pierced her, but she didn't care about herself anymore, it was too late for that. Whatever love she'd ever had for Will was gone now, replaced by a coldness she didn't know she could possess. If she got out of this alive, Will was going to pay, she would make sure of it, especially if he'd done anything to harm her son.


	24. Chapter 24

Back at JJ's house, the local police were there, but it was an FBI case. One of their own was missing, and given the nature of their job, the FBI were all over it. They had a pretty good idea of who had done the kidnapping. They found Will's vehicle parked a street over from JJ's house, and agents sent to his place of residence had found no one there. An all points bulletin was out on JJ's car, but they figured that he may have changed vehicles or plates since the disappearance.

Rossi called in his friend, who he'd had start an investigation on Will. He had the file ready, and had added to it since Rossi had called him to investigate. It contained a valuable lead for them, one that Will probably didn't think they'd have already. It seemed that Will had a relative with a hunting lodge, where with some poking around by the investigator, it was discovered that Will had spent a fair bit of time at. If it was isolation he was looking for, that place went to the top of their list.

JJ's disappearance hadn't only affected Rossi. Penelope was beside herself, not knowing quite what to do. Prentiss fretted, and Reid looked lost, wanting to protect the woman he called his 'sister' but not knowing how to do it. All his knowledge, and he felt helpless at this time. Morgan was beside himself, wanting to get his hands on Will as badly as Rossi did. He repeatedly called him a 'son of a bitch' and if he was alone with him and JJ was hurt in any way, Will was a dead man.

Garcia had a "duh" moment, when she realized that JJ's car was equipped with a GPS unit, one that could help them locate it, if Will had not changed vehicles. Thankful they hadn't lost too much time, but not knowing how long JJ had even been gone, things could be worse for them. Will wasn't as smart as he thought he was. Getting to work on her computers, she quickly was able to ascertain the location, one that seemed to coincide with the hunting lodge that Rossi had found out about sooner. They immediately got ready, finding maps of the area, trying to determine the best way to get in there and bring JJ out safely. The place was surrounded by woods, which both helped and hindered them.

The team headed out on the plane, winging it's way in a southerly direction, to a half way point between Quantico and New Orleans. They met with local authorities, and a unit of the FBI trained in dealing with extractions of this sort. The plan was to get in there, take down Will and get JJ out safely.

Rossi was beside himself with worry, hurt to think that Will may have done something to JJ. He hoped that JJ had been able to fight back, do something, anything to save herself. He hated to think that Will would violate her, but this was a very real possibility. He only prayed he'd get JJ back alive, and trapping them in the cabin, unknown of what weapons Will might have on hand, the outcome might not be good. They had to do this, and get her out alive.

For as many people that were entering the woods, they were unbelievably quiet. They approached the cabin, which to Rossi looked deserted, but he seen JJ's vehicle parked beside it, and he felt a little relief that they seemed to have located where she was. His stomach was still in knots however, not knowing what condition JJ might be in when they finally got her out of there.

Rossi finally reached the cabin, as did several armed members of the team. He tried peaking in a window, hoping against hope he would be caught by Will. What he seen though sickened him. JJ lay on a bed, handcuffed to the frame. He could see her face, swollen by an obvious beating that Will had given her. Rossi's blood boiled, anger threatening to spill over in him. He wanted nothing more than to storm in there and rescue the woman he loved. As bad as he wanted that, he also knew she could end up dead before he got to her if he made the wrong move.

He backed off from the window, hanging back to confer with Morgan and tell him what he had seen through the cabin window. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that JJ had been through worse, but time would tell. For now, all he wanted to do was get his hands on the son of a bitch that had hurt JJ so bad. Rossi watched as the extraction team conferred with one another, and seen that they had formulated something, so he hung back with Derek, following their lead. The team surrounded the house, all points of entry covered, hoping to take Will by surprise before he could get near JJ and hold her hostage. Everything would have worked, if Will hadn't happened to walk out of the cabin at that point and see several armed men surrounding him. He ran back in, slamming the door behind him, causing a change in plan.

They used binoculars to peer through the windows, and seen Will next to JJ, holding what appeared to be a gun. At that, the team drew back, to talk to the FBI, and decide whether to negotiate, or try to get a shot off and take him out then and there. Rossi preferred negotiation, fearing for JJ, no matter what they did, but if there was any way to talk him down, get him to release her without hurting her any further, they needed to try.

Rossi took the lead in the negotiation, phoning Will's cellphone number. Surprisingly, Will answered, which Dave hoped was a good sign. It wasn't.

"Will, this is Dave Rossi. We're here to help end this peacefully." Rossi began.

"What, so you can have this little slut back? She was mine Rossi, and now you're screwing her. What makes you think I'm going to give her back to you?" Will shouted into the phone.

Rossi stared at the cabin, surprised that Will seemed to know about JJ and him. Recovering his composure, he continued to talk. "Be that as it may, you know deep down you don't want to hurt JJ. She's the mother of your child. You love your son, don't you Will? Well, your son needs his mother."

"I don't even know if Henry's mine. How long have you been screwing JJ? She says only lately, but I don't believe her. You took her from me. And now, I intend to take her from you." With that, Will hung up, leaving Rossi shocked.

Dave spoke to the team leader then, telling him they needed to get JJ out of there now, it was escalating, and waiting longer might see the death of JJ. A sharp shooter took up position, trying to get an angle in through the cabin windows, seeing if they could take Will down with a wounding shot, enough for the team to storm in and rescue her. When it was all set, the team leader gave it the go, and the next few minutes were a blur for Dave. All he cared about was whether JJ was okay, and after about 5 minutes, they were given the all clear to enter the cabin.

The team entered slowly, Rossi faster than the rest of them. He walked past a wounded Will, who lay on the floor of the cabin, surrounded by many men with guns. He went straight to JJ, who lay on the bed, handcuffed. Up close, she looked even worse than through the window. Will had obviously beaten her, bruised and bloodied, JJ looked like she was unconscious.

"GET THE KEY NOW!" Dave shouted. He wanted JJ released and heading for medical attention as soon as possible. At his shout, JJ started, and came around.

"Dave?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.

"It's okay, sweetheart, I'm here. We're going to get you out of here, get you to a hospital. I won't leave your side, okay? I'm here." he tried to comfort her.

"Where's Henry? I don't know where Henry is. He won't tell me what he did with Henry!" a panicked JJ said, her son her first thought.

"He's fine, baby, he's fine. He's with his auntie Garcia, and she's taking very good care of him." Dave said, as he worked on opening the cuffs, releasing JJ from her bond, and finally being able to cradle her in his arms.

"I don't feel so good, Dave. I hurt, a lot. Please make the hurt stop." JJ cried.

"I will, hon, I will."

With that, Dave picked JJ up off the bed and carried her out to the waiting SUV. He wasn't waiting for an ambulance, he would take her to the nearest hospital himself. One of the local team members drove, heading straight for the best hospital that was near them. Rossi cradled JJ in his arms, wishing the vehicle to go faster, and dying every time JJ groaned in discomfort when they went over a bump. He wished he'd been able to kill the man back at the cabin, for doing this to his beautiful JJ. What she'd been through in the last few hours was obviously horrific, and his heart ached for her. He could only imagine what had occurred in that horrible little cabin.

They arrived at the hospital, and JJ was swept into the emergency room. And once again, Dave was left to wait, sitting there, hoping that JJ would be alright.


	25. Chapter 25

Dave paced the waiting room of the emergency room, where JJ had been taken. He'd heard nothing in the hours he'd been there, and it was killing him. The team had yet to get there, probably dealing with wrapping up the situation. Rossi didn't care. He really wished he'd been able to kill Will, for the brutalization of JJ. He didn't know how bad things were, her face was swollen and bloodied when he'd last seen her. He could only pray things were worse than they looked. He was about ready to snap, when a doctor came out, looking for someone that was there for Ms. Jareau.

Dave went over, "I'm here for Ms. Jareau. I brought her in. I'm David Rossi, we work together."

"Mr. Rossi, we'd prefer to talk to family. Is there anyone else?" the doctor said.

Dave got riled up, but tried to remain calm, "I am the only family she has here. We're dating one another. I think that counts for something. Anything to do with her, you tell me."

"Fine, Mr. Rossi. Come through here, we'll talk about Ms. Jareau's condition back here."

They went through the emergency room entrance, and he lead Dave to an empty office.

"Ms. Jareau is in very serious shape. She has two broken ribs, and severe damage to her face, most of which is swelling. She has three contusions on her head, and we're keeping her to check for any chance she has a concussion. Head injuries are very serious, and from what we can see, she's been through a severe beating around her face. There are also injuries consistent with an attempted sexual assault, and we took a rape kit, just in case. She also has severe marks around her ankles and wrists, consistent with being bound. She will be fine, we believe, given a few days, her body just needs time to heal. Right now, we've tried everything to make her comfortable."

"But she will be okay?" Dave pleaded?

"It's our belief, at this time, that she will be fine. As bad as whatever beating she took was, it looks much worse than what it is. We've cleaned her up, bandaged her, and given her painkillers. The worst of what she went through will be psychological, however."

"Can I see her, let her know I'm here? I just want her to know I'm there for her. Is she conscious?"

"She's drugged up right now, she needs time to heal. You can go to her room, but I wouldn't expect too much out of her."

"I just need to be with her. Let her know that I'm there."

"Fine, Mr. Rossi. We're transferring her to room 518, you'll be able to see her up there."

With that, the doctor turned and left, leaving Dave to absorb the information. He shouldn't have been surprised at the fact that Will would try and rape Jen. Not given the way he'd behaved the couple of times that Rossi had seen him take after her. The brutality of her beating shocked him. JJ had been a bloody mess when he'd last seen her. How anyone could do that to another human being still shocked him after all these years of seeing the worst that humanity could do to one another. But to have it happen to someone so close to him, it hurt him deeply. If it wasn't the fact that they'd been surrounded by so many armed men, and JJ needed his help desperately, he'd have given Will a beating he'd never forget, if he'd lived through it.

A nurse popped in shortly afterwards, telling him he could go upstairs, that JJ was now in her room. He rushed out, needing to be by her side, as much as she needed him, he thought he needed to be with her more. He thanked god she'd come out of this alive, that Will was not quite as clever as he thought he was.

Dave entered the room, seeing her still form laying there. The blood cleaned off her face, he could see the worst that Will had done to her. She was bruised, but the swelling would go down in a couple of days. The ribs would hurt her, and they had her taped up. It would take her a little while to get up and going again, but he'd be there to help her. He blamed himself, he should have been there. He pulled a chair up and sat down beside JJ. He took her hand in his, and as he did, her eyes fluttered open.

"You're here." she whispered.

"I'm here, JJ. I'm sorry I didn't get to you before." he kissed her fingers.

"Where's Henry? Will didn't hurt him, did he?" she asked, obviously not remembering she'd asked before.

"He's with Garcia. He's fine, Will didn't touch him."

"Good. I was so scared. I didn't fight back as hard as I should, I thought he had Henry stashed someplace, waiting to hurt him. I should have fought back harder."

"You did good, JJ. You fought. He would have killed you, but we got there in time. The important thing is, you're safe now."

"Why did he do this to me? My head feels so bad. I think I hate him, Dave, I think I really do." she closed her eyes as she spoke.

"You rest for now, sweetheart. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, JJ." his voice trembled.

"Love you, Dave." JJ kept her eyes closed, not wanting to think of all that had happened in the last few hours, and blissfully, the drugs kicked in again, and JJ drifted off to sleep.


	26. Chapter 26

The sun peaked through the hospital windows and JJ's eyes fluttered open. Her head hurt, a lot. Her eyes focused, seeing Dave sleeping in a chair next to the hospital bed. JJ squeezed her eyes shut, as her memory came flooding back of the damage that had been done to her. She didn't remember being rescued, only the feeling of relief that Dave had found her. She watched the sleeping man, a man that many seemed to fear, but with her had been nothing but gentle and loving. She refused to think of what had happened with Will. She really wished he was dead, but didn't know his fate. She took Dave's hand in hers, and squeezed it. He awoke with a start, and realized immediately that she was awake.

"Sleeping on the job, Rossi?" JJ spoke low, attempting to joke.

"No, it's no job. I'm just with the one I love." Dave smiled at her. The bruising was very evident, and thankfully the swelling was starting to go down.

"Is he dead?" was all she asked next.

"I don't know, hon. Hotch hasn't come yet, so I'm taking they are still interrogating him. I wish he was dead though. They shot him, I know that. We tried to talk him down, but he was holding you hostage. The SWAT team acted, and the last I scene of the bastard, he was lying on the cabin floor with a lot of guns pointed at him."

"I hope he's dead. I hate him, I truly do. How could anyone do that to someone they "love"? He kept making me say I still loved him. He questioned whether Henry was his. I thought he'd killed Henry, I truly did."

"JJ, you don't have to talk about this if you don't want. I want you to know that." Rossi held her hand tightly, giving her support.

"A few minutes ago, I was trying to block it out of my mind, but I have to tell you, I do, Dave." JJ whispered.

"Okay, sweetheart, I'm listening."

"He showed up at the house, just after I fell asleep the other night. I fought back, but he had chloroform on a cloth, I guess. I didn't remember anything til we were traveling down the road. He had me tied, bound and gagged in the back of my vehicle. Anyway, he wouldn't tell me where Henry was. And then we ended up at that hellhole, and he kept slapping me, he questioned me about you, how long I've been screwing you and if you were why I left him. He wouldn't believe me when I told him only three weeks, he kept hitting me. He wanted me to say I still loved him, and then he tried to rape me, but he couldn't "perform". And that's when he started to beat me. I don't remember too much after that, just laying there, staring at the wall. The pain was so bad, I kept coming in and out of it, he really hurt my face. And I felt like I couldn't breath." JJ finally stopped, the story had come pouring out of her.

Dave looked at poor JJ, relieved that Will hadn't been able to force himself on her. At least she'd been spared that. But what he'd done in return wasn't too much better. He felt the need to get a hold of Hotch, find out what had become of Will. He'd really hoped he'd made a run for it and been gunned down. He hated to leave JJ, but he had to. Just then, the nurse and doctor came in to see her, and after promising her he'd be back shortly, Dave headed outside to use his cellphone and find out what had gone on.

The call went through shortly, and Dave was talking to Hotch "Aaron, JJ's awake and telling me details. What happened to the little bastard? What's going on out there?"

"Dave, how's JJ? Is she going to be alright?" Hotch ignored Rossi's question to begin with, wanting to know about his friend.

"She'll be okay. He beat her pretty badly. She has a couple of broken ribs, a lot of facial contusions. She's sore and bruised. She says she wasn't raped, thank god for small favors, but apparently it wasn't from lack of trying on his part." he spat out.

"Will has been taken to a different hospital, we're over there. No word yet on his condition, he took a bullet to the chest when the cabin was stormed."

"He deserves to die for what he did to JJ. Do you know how long poor Henry was alone when he kidnapped JJ? For over 10 hours! No wonder the poor boy was wailing so much. Some father, doing that to his son. My god, I wish I'd been able to beat him like he did to JJ." Ross ground out.

"Well, I hate to say this, but I agree with you on that. As a father, I could never do that, no matter how angry I was at my child's mother. He seriously had something wrong with him mentally."

"Listen, his doctor is coming out now. I'll phone you back in a few. Bye Dave."

Rossi stood there, thinking about all that had transpired in the last 24 hours. He couldn't believe it had escalated like this, that Will had gone this far. And he didn't know how JJ was going to hold things together. All he knew is that he would stand beside her, no matter what. And their fledgling relationship would be tested more than he could possibly imagine, all because one man couldn't let go.

After a couple of minutes, Dave's phone rang shrilly. Seeing it was Hotch, he picked up.

"So, what's the verdict? Is he gonna make it?"

"He died on the operating room table, Dave. The bullet nicked a major artery, and he bled out. He was practically dead when he was brought in here." Hotch relayed the information with little emotion.

"I don't feel real sorry, you know that? He needed help, he really did. Too bad he didn't get it before he did something like this. And now, JJ will have to pay for it." Rossi sighed.

"Listen, Hotch, I'm heading back up to JJ. I promised her I wouldn't stay away too long. She's still scared, very scared of him. He hurt her badly."

"Okay, Dave, we'll be there shortly. Let her know we're on our way." With that, he disconnected from Hotch, and headed back up the elevator to JJ's room.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N. Short chapter here, sorry. Next one will be longer. As always, thanks for continuing to read, I really appreciate it, you all keep me going. Not mine, never will be, just borrowing for now!**

Dave met JJ's doctor outside her room, and stopped to discuss her condition with him.

"Ms. Jareau will be okay, physically, given enough time to heal. She wants to be transferred to a hospital in the D.C. Area, so we are arranging things now. Do you want us to arrange transport, or will you do it?" her doctor asked.

"Let me check with our boss, we do have an aircraft that can be made available, we should be able to take her back in that. However, how is she mentally?"

"She's damaged, that's for sure. Time will heal that too, but it's going to take awhile. It's been an utter betrayal of herself, by someone that she trusted for so long."

"Don't I know it. And I know it could have been a lot worse. Should I tell her that he is gone? He died on the operating table."

"If she asks, tell her. That's my advice, anyway. She will find out sooner or later, and she needs to know now, more than ever, she can trust you." the doctor stated.

Dave looked at him, and realized the truth in his words. He entered JJ's room, to check on her, and seen she'd drifted back to sleep. He looked at her as she rested, his heart filled both with sadness and love for the woman laying there. He sighed, before turning to head outside once again, to discuss with Hotch transporting JJ back to D.C. Hotch readily agreed, stating they were just finishing up the official business here, and they'd be good to go.

Once he got back to her room, he took a seat beside her once again. When he took her hand, her eyes popped open, startled, before she realized it was Dave and calmed back down again.

"Dave, I want to go home, I want to see Henry." JJ told him.

"We're working on it, sweetheart, Hotch is giving us the all clear to take you on the plane and head for home. We'll get the doctor working on your transfer papers, alright?"

"I just want out of this place, I want to go. Please take me home, Dave, please."

"As soon as I'm able, babe, as soon as I'm able." He took her hand to his lips then and kissed them. JJ calmed down again, and relaxed, relieved to go. Not long after, Hotch and the rest of the team showed up. JJ, as much as she loved the team, didn't want them to see her like this, but visited anyway. They'd be seeing her shortly on the trip home. However, she wouldn't talk to them about what had happened, she shut down at any questions they tried to ask. They finally gave up when they realized how non-responsive she was going to be.

JJ's doctor came back to the room shortly thereafter, and shooed them all out, giving her a thorough examination before she would board the flight. In the small town, he hadn't seen as much horror as the members of the BAU, and what Will had done to her bothered him. He hoped the woman would be okay, and that her friends wouldn't let her hide away from them, and end up having the whole situation eat away at her. She was going to need them all, whether she realized now or not. Shortly thereafter, they readied her for transport in an ambulance, heading to the airport. Surrounded by her co-workers, they left the hospital for the airport, concern written on everyone's face. And none of them relaxed til they were safely in the air, winging their way from the place that had been JJ's nightmare.


	28. Chapter 28

The room is cold, the single blanket draped over her shoulders doesn't do much to warm her. The curtain dances in the wind coming from the half open window. JJ takes deep breath, hiding her mouth and nose in her pillow, trying to stop herself from crying out. It seems so unreal all that had happened to her, and she is having a tough time dealing with the aftermath.

She's alone in her room, Dave is in a bedroom next door. He moved her in to Little Creek to look after her while she recovered from the attack, and she hasn't left, not wanting to be alone in the house she was taken from. She isn't ready to have him stay in the room with her, in fact, as much as she realizes she loves him, she still panics when he touches her. It's killing her, because she knows that it's not Dave's fault. It's that bastard Will, who has ruined her for what she had with Dave. But still, Dave stays, hoping that one day, JJ will let him touch her again without flinching in fear.

She thinks how it's been 6 weeks now since the brutal attack. She doesn't mourn Will, she was actually relieved to find out that he had died on the operating table. Everyone helps with Henry, and everyone walks on eggshells around her, trying hard not to mention all that happened. She started back to work two weeks ago, the visible injuries having faded, the emotional ones lingering. She didn't chat much with Garcia or Emily anymore, she couldn't bare to be around the men anymore, alone. It hurt that she couldn't even let herself trust her good friends that would do anything for her.

She watches the clock, sees that it's almost time to get up anyway, get ready for work. She eyes the blue numbers on her alarm clock, 5:29. It will go off in a minute, and she will have to get ready for work, try to forget about all that's transpired. She hasn't slept well at all in the intervening weeks, nightmares racking most of her sleep time. JJ veers between feeling numb and feeling absolute anger at what had happened. She pretends she's fine when anyone asks, but Dave can see she's not.

Next door, Dave is not asleep either. He watches the ceiling, knowing he's got to get out of bed soon too. He wanted so badly to hold JJ in his arms, and keep her safe there. But she couldn't even stand to have him put a hand on her, just a reassuring touch. Seeing her flinch was difficult. He wished to God he'd beaten Will to a pulp before this nightmare had occurred. He didn't know how much time he needed to give JJ, he knew she was having trouble letting go. But he felt the time was coming that he would have to talk to her, try to get through to her, or she was never going to heal.

Both of their alarms rang, and they got up, getting ready for the day. He heard JJ talking to Henry, as she got him up to get him ready for daycare. Henry was the only one that JJ could bear to show any affection for, he was her lifeline to normalcy. Dave hid his emotions as well as he could, but he was dying slowly inside. The time for a talk would come this weekend, and he didn't think JJ would take it well.

They met each other in the hallway, JJ holding her son, and they silently make their way down to the kitchen. She putters around, making breakfast for them, but hardly talking, nothing like the JJ of old, who would chat with him about anything, giggling, smiling. She only smiles for her son, relieved that he didn't seem to have any ill effects from crying so much when Will had abandoned him alone when he had kidnapped her. Dave gets up for a cup of coffee, and brushes against her, and she's like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs, she tenses up, and something in Dave snaps.

"JJ, what the hell? I'm not going to hurt you! Don't you realize how much I love you? I'm not him, I will never be him. I would never hurt you!" He doesn't yell, he simply speaks, tired of it all, but the tension of the last few weeks catches up to him, he can't hold it in.

JJ looks at him in shock, and tears start to fall, for the first time since the nightmare had begun. She flees the kitchen, not saying anything, rushing back upstairs and closing herself in her room. She lets the feelings out, crying so hard she scares herself. She sits on the floor, pulling her legs up to her chest, and rocks back and forth. Her world has been shattered, and she has no idea how to put it all back together.

Dave knocks on the door, and then enters the room. He sees JJ crying, and he can't help it, he goes to her and hold her close to him, and for the first time, she doesn't flinch as he holds her tight in his arms, she feels safe. In between cries, she starts to speak, honestly.

"Dave, I love you, I truly do. I need help, I want us to be "Us" again. I don't want Will to win, and destroy everything we have." she cried.

"Sweetheart, I will do anything to help us. I've never loved anyone like this, and it's breaking my heart. Anything you need, I'll do it for you. Anywhere you need to go, I'll go with you. Just fight for us, don't let him win. He's dead and gone, I don't want us to die with him." Dave spoke honestly for the first time in weeks.

She cried even more, and he sat there, rocking her in his arms, not wanting to let go. It was the most contact they'd had since before, and he missed holding her in his arms. She cried herself out, until she finally had nothing left. And in all that time, Dave just held her, whispering words of comfort to her, letting her know he was there. Time went on, and they heard Henry crying out. Dave had put him in the playpen when he'd followed JJ up here, and he was tired of being alone, demanding attention. He arose off the floor and helped JJ up.

"I'll go get him. You get a washcloth, soothe your face. Today, we call a therapist, we get started on the road to recovery."

She spoke then, pleading with him, before he left to get Henry. "Dave, I'm not going to change overnight. But I'm promising I will try. So don't be upset with me if I do flinch, okay:? I'm going to try, but it's going to be hard, you know that, right?"

"JJ, I'm not going anywhere. And I know it's not going to change fast. But things will change, I trust in that. And I will do everything in my power to help you. I won't push you to do anything you aren't ready for. But I will be here, for anything you need me for." he stated simply.

He decided to take a chance, and reached in and kissed her forehead. She didn't flinch, and in fact, she hugged him for the first time, showing that she was, indeed, ready to heal.

JJ came downstairs shortly thereafter, and graced her men with a genuine smile, one Dave had missed so much. He smiled back, and they got ready to go shortly thereafter, forgetting about breakfast, they were already late for work. Whatever was going to happen, they were taking baby steps towards healing. He was determined to prove to her that he would be there for her, through thick and thin. He'd hoped they'd survived the worst, and he knew things couldn't change overnight, but he knew they were at least going to try. And that warmed him to no end, happy for the first time since this nightmare had begun.


	29. Chapter 29

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Jareau. You can call me Lisa if you wish, it's less formal than Dr. Anderson. I want you to feel as comfortable as possible. Please take a seat." the affable woman said to JJ.

JJ stood there nervously, not exactly sure what to do. She knew she needed to talk to someone to help get better, but it didn't make it any easier for her. Deciding to do this for herself, to get better and get on with her life, she'd made this appointment, and hoped that it would go well. She finally took the seat indicated by the doctor, and proceeded to play with her hands.

"How would you like me to address you? As Ms. Jareau, JJ, whatever you wish." Lisa continued.

"JJ is fine, doctor. I'm okay with that." JJ replied quietly.

"So, why did you come to see me, JJ?" Lisa began.

JJ hesitated, hardly knowing where to begin. She'd never pictured herself as needing to come to a therapist, but she also knew she needed to get herself better. So, she finally began. "So many things. I had an incident happen to me, that has really messed up my life. I don't have the nerve I did before. I don't trust the man I love, even though he did nothing but try and help me through all this. Even work isn't the same. And I just want my life back, where I don't feel anxious all the time."

"You take as much time as you need, JJ. I'm here to listen to you, and I'll help you in whatever way I can." Lisa said, while taking notes.

"I guess it started about 5 months ago. I was having dreams, and they made me realize I wasn't happy with my life. They helped me to make the decision to break up with my boyfriend, the father of my son. And while I was happy, and I moved on, he didn't. He didn't want to break up, and he found it hard to let go." JJ feathered the hem of her jacket, her anxiety shining through.

"Did you ever tell him that you'd moved on?" Lisa looked at JJ, looking at the distraught, young blonde.

"Yes, I did. And I told him he needed to also. But he was very angry with me. We shared custody of our son, and a couple of times when picking my son up, he tried to get violent with me. Luckily some friends were there to help, and I really thought he knew that it wasn't right. But I was wrong." JJ gnawed on her lip at that, remembering everything with crystal clarity.

"Did this lead to this incident?" Lisa prodded her gently.

"Apparently. He became obsessed with me. He wouldn't let go. And one night, he kidnapped me. He left our son all alone when he kidnapped me." JJ said angrily.

"How does that make you feel?" asking the one question that she hoped would get a reaction.

"How do you think I feel? I'm angry, so angry with him that he didn't think enough of our child. That he left him alone and unprotected in some sick attempt to make me his again. If he hadn't died, I think I would have killed him myself! God, I loathe him!" JJ's emotions poured out.

"Was your son okay?" Lisa asked, able to conceal anything she may have felt.

"He was okay, my boyfriend finally found him, crying and alone, almost 12 hours later. You don't do that to your child, for no reason whatsover!" JJ fairly spit out.

"JJ, you said he kidnapped you. I'm taking that you are dealing with the traumatic after events of that?"

"I don't want to talk about what happened there. I hate myself, I should have fought harder." JJ whispered.

"You do realize it's not your fault, don't you? Did you fight back at all?" the doctor said in sympathetic tones.

"Not too much. I tried, and he beat me. Plus, he wouldn't tell me what he had done with our son. I thought I had to cooperate with him to find out what he had done to My son." JJ played with her hands, ringing them together.

"Then why do you hate yourself? He had you captured, you thought your son was in danger. Why would you ever hate yourself over that?"

"Because! I should have fought him. I didn't. He made me say I loved him still. He questioned whether my son was even his. He did things to me that I don't ever want to remember."

"Take a deep breath, JJ. Relax, let it out. Why do you think he went so far?"

"Because I dumped him. He still loved me and I fell out of love with him. He found out I was involved with someone else, and this is how it ended up." That's the way JJ seen it. She'd left him, and he made her pay for her decision, exhibiting a side to himself that JJ would never have guessed was there.

"How does your present boyfriend fit into all this? What does he do to make you think he would ever hurt you in the same way your ex did?"

JJ looked at her, shocked. She would never think that Dave would hurt her like Will did. Never.

"He wouldn't hurt me. He loves me. He's not Will."

"Exactly, JJ. He's not Will. No two men are the same. Just because Will hurt you, does not mean Dave would. Eventually you are going to realize that."

JJ sat there, and realized, even having let her emotions out to Dave, she still distrusted him around her. And that was unfair, highly unfair to Dave. He'd been nothing but supportive since all this happened, he'd not abandoned her, he stood by watching helplessly well JJ struggled daily.

"I know he's not Will." JJ stated bleakly.

"Then maybe you need to rethink how you are dealing with him. If he's not Will, don't punish him for Will's deeds. I'm not being judgmental, but you need to realize he's not the same man Will is. Can you describe this Dave for me?" Lisa asked, taking notes speedily, watching JJ to gauge the emotions emanating from her.

JJ sat and thought, the best way to describe the man she loved. Finally she started "He's one of the most caring men I've ever known. I chased after him til I caught him. The man was a damn gentleman for so long, I barely got a kiss out of him. He's sweet, and passionate. He's good with my son. He loves me."

"So, if he loves you, is that what you are equating with him someday being able to hurt you, like Will did?"

JJ started at that, stopping short. "Dave could never hurt me like Will did. He loves me."

The therapist smiled at her, then said "So stop treating him like Will."

"Aren't you suppose to be helping me here? I didn't ask for a lecture."

"It's not a lecture, JJ, it's the truth. Dave is not Will. It's a simple fact. Quit thinking he's going to do the same thing as Will did. You need to get past that if you ever intend to go forward with him."

"And how do you propose I do that? I love him, but him touching me scares me. After what was attempted on me, I'm not sure I ever want to be touched again. I only now have gotten used to him giving me a simple hug. I want him again, but I don't know how to get back to what we had." JJ said sadly.

"Take it a step at a time. You said hugging is starting to work, then start there. Hug for longer periods of time, til you trust him. Then you can head for the next step. No one is expecting you to jump into bed with him immediately. You take your own pace. But I'm here to help you get back to that point, and you will get there."

"Lisa, I've never been more angry in my life. I hate everything Will stole from me. I feel like my whole life is just wrong, that nothing will ever be the same. I didn't ask for this. I love Dave, he's the one I was meant to be with. And I was punished for that. I don't want to lose him, I don't."

"I know I sound like a broken record, JJ, but it's one step at a time. You walk out of here today, try holding his hand when you see him. Something simple, non-threatening to you. I guarantee, both of you will feel so much better with one simple gesture. Do you want to end it here for today? I know how wiped you must be feeling. First sessions tend to take a lot out of people."

JJ was relieved that the session was ending. Pent up emotions were being released, and she had discovered that as much as she loved Dave, she was punishing him for Will's actions. Dave had already said as much, but the facts were slammed home this day. She stood up, and shook the doctor's hand.

"Make an appointment with my secretary, for your convenience. We're just at the beginning here. I'm here to help you, JJ, and we'll do all we can to help you get your life back." Lisa said to her.

"I think I'm already starting that, Lisa. Thanks so much." JJ eager to escape said.

"Good, JJ, good. See you at the next appointment."

And with that, JJ's first therapy session was over, leaving JJ drained and anxious to see Dave actually. All she wanted to do was hold his hand more than ever, to tell her he would be there for her, while she worked through this. Because now that she'd had the dream with him, she didn't want it to turn to a nightmare like it had with Will. And she knew it wouldn't, because as the therapist said, Dave wasn't Will. Nothing like him at all.


	30. Chapter 30

Dave thought about JJ, and realized that he was going to have to work to win back her trust. It wasn't her fault, not at all that Will had done this to her. She was taking steps to repair her shattered being, and Dave decided that he would start back at the beginning, courting JJ and taking things slowly, hopefully to get to the point where they'd been before she'd been kidnapped. He missed his JJ, he wanted what they'd had back, and he was willing to do anything to achieve that.

Dave was actually at a loss as to what to do. The best times of their relationship thus far had been when he'd been the one slowly pursuing her, with her pushing for more and more. And now, he didn't know what to do. He knew that JJ hadn't been raped, but Will had attempted to, and when he couldn't, he'd beaten her. He remembered when she'd told him that she hadn't been raped, the relief that had flooded through him upon realizing that JJ had at least been spared being violated in that way. Still, the scarring of that event were readily obvious. At least she'd been able to control being jumping anytime he brushed against her lately. She'd even started to hold his hand again when they sat on the couch, watching a movie. JJ was struggling to return to what they had, and so was he. When she held his hand, he wanted nothing more than to pull her into a deep hug. She'd allowed him that day that she'd finally broke down to hug her, but had kept her distance since. It was as if she expected him to hurt her, and that broke his heart.

Sitting at his desk at the BAU, he threw himself into reading a casefile, trying to concentrate on something other than his feelings. A knock on his door made him look up, and he smiled when JJ walked into his office.

"What can I do for you, hon? Got a case for me to look at?" he indicated the files she held in her hand.

"No, Dave, no case. I just needed to talk to you for a minute, and it couldn't wait til we got home." JJ said nervously.

Dave's heart sank in his chest, fearing that JJ was about to break up with him, throw everything they had together away, letting that bastard Will win. What she did say surprised him instead.

"I just got back from my latest therapy session. You know I've been seeing her for a month now, and I've been thinking very hard Dave. I think we need some time away from here for a while, a weekend away, to try and reconnect with one another. Do you think you could book the suite in New York again? I'm not promising anything, I can't. But I do want to try and it was such a beautiful place for us. Would you be willing to go, if I can get Penelope to babysit Henry for a few days?" She looked at him nervously, fully expecting him to say no, telling her that she was pushing herself too hard to try and make things work.

"Are you sure, JJ? I promise you, I'll not push you for anything, but I don't want you to do anything you aren't ready to, including being completely alone with me. I know you use Henry as a barrier, and he'll be gone. It will be just the two of us, alone." Although he wanted this badly, a chance to reconnect emotionally with JJ, he didn't want her to be in any situation she wasn't ready for.

"I'm sure, Dave. I've been punishing you for what Will did to me, and it's not fair. You have been nothing but wonderful, and I've been pushing and pushing to keep you away from me. I want what we had, I want to fight for what we had. And I'm sorry I'm asking you here at work, but I just had to ask you. I want us back."

This was the most honest, the most calm JJ had been in the two and half months since this had happened. She was taking control again, claiming her life again. Dave decided that they'd do New York the right way, do the tourist thing, reconnect by dating in this fabulous place. He'd book a suite with two bedrooms, not wanting to put JJ in any position where she'd be expected to share the bed with him. He was just ecstatic that JJ was willing to do this, so he'd be on his best behavior.

"Well, if you're ready, see if Garcia will look after Henry. I'll make the arrangements, and we'll get away from here for a couple of days. We'll still be on call, but I think we can try to get away." Dave smiled at her, and was granted a beautiful smile from the woman he loved.

"Thanks, Dave." Her grin remaining, she turned and left his office, leaving a confused but happy man in her wake. Whatever she did in these therapy sessions, Dave was grateful to this doctor for helping JJ get this far in her recovery. He intended to be there for her, not pushing her, courting her like before. He grabbed his address book out of his desk drawer, and began to call, making the preparations for this last minute getaway, a chance of a lifetime. He'd been around the block a few times, but for JJ he was prepared to fight. He'd never loved a woman like this before, and was glad that JJ wanted to fight for them too. The strength she showed just by willing to put herself out there like this was incredible. And he fully intended to show her that with him, she had nothing to worry about.

JJ knocked on the door to Garcia's computer room, hearing the familiar tones of her friend telling whoever it was to enter. JJ opened the door and stepped in. She hadn't been the best friend she could be since the attack, something that Garcia didn't hold against her. She knew that JJ would eventually find her way back to who she'd been, and Garcia had held on, knowing JJ would need everyone once she got back on the right path. Since JJ had been in therapy, JJ had started coming out of her shell once again, and Garcia smiled that her friend was entering her abode.

"What can I do for you, my dear?" Penelope said in a cheery voice.

Taking a seat, JJ started. "Penelope, I hate to ask a favor of you, but it's a big one. Do you think you could look after Henry this weekend? From Friday to Sunday? Please?"

Looking at JJ, Garcia readily agreed. "Anything for my godson! I haven't had him on an overnight in awhile, I'd loved to have my little buddy with me. Can I ask why you need me to babysit?"

"Well, I need to take back my life. I'm sick of cowering, sick of waiting to be hurt. I've pushed everyone away, everyone. And that's not me. I want me back, I want my life back. I want your friendship, I want Dave's love. I'm afraid I'll lose everything if I keep pushing everyone away. And that terrifies me."

Listening to JJ talk almost broke Garcia's heart. Seeing the damage that Will had done to her emotionally, and the way JJ was fighting that was awful.

"JJ, I'm here for you anytime. And I'm pretty sure that Dave isn't going anywhere either. That man has been a rock the last couple of months. He loves you. I don't know how long you were involved beforehand, but I can see how much he loves you now."

"I know, Pen, and I'm afraid to lose him. He's not Will, he could never be a monster like that. And I never want him to think that that's how I see him. I don't. We just need to reconnect emotionally. I'm not ready for anything physical yet. But I do want Dave to know how much I love him, how much I'm grateful for everything he's done. I love him." JJ poured out, emotions overtaking her, causing her to bury her head in her hands.

Garcia patted her back, telling her not to worry, that everything would work out fine. "Well, I'm glad you are fighting for you two. Don't let something go that is so rare. I don't think you have to worry though. That man loves you more than you know."

"I hope you're right. I've been horrible to him. I didn't mean to be, but I really was. And I never want to hurt him again."

"Dave understands, sweetie, I know he does. He just wants you to be well, to be better. And he wants you to do it at your pace, he's not rushing you." Garcia imparted her wisdom on JJ.

"Thanks, Pen, thanks. I better get back to work now. If we're going away, I want to get everything done, and be ready when Friday comes. You really are the best friend a girl can have, aren't you?" JJ smiled.

"You better believe it!" Garcia giggled.

With this matter resolved, JJ left her friend, returned to her office, looking forward to the weekend for the first time in months. She was actually happy, and she'd be damned if thoughts of Will would ruin this for her. She was going to get her life back, it was as simple as that.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N I'm sorry the updates haven't been coming as frequently as before. I appreciate all that are still reading the story, you make my day! Thanks to Ladywriter29 and Tracia for their reviews, you two really keep me going! As always, CM is not mine, I just wish it was!**

JJ clutched Dave's hand tightly, not wanting to let go. They were on the plane headed for New York, Dave surprised by the way JJ was clinging to normalcy. She was really trying to get past what had happened to her, and Dave was afraid it might backfire on her. He really wanted this weekend to work for them, get back on track, but he wasn't pushing her for anything. JJ was in charge of how things went, and he would be there for her all the way. So far, all they had planned was to get settled at the hotel and then he'd decided to take her to one of his favorite restaurants in the city. After that, they would do whatever JJ wanted to do. In all her travels to New York, she'd really not seen much of anything there, as all her trips had been for business, besides the one trip she'd taken with Dave to the wedding. The city was hers to discover, and Dave was more than happy to be by her side.

For her part, JJ kept stroking Dave's fingers with her thumb, while holding his hand. She looked at how small her hand looked next to his, how perfect her hand fit in his. She wanted it all back with him, everything that had been ripped away. She sighed, not believing how wonderful Dave was being about everything. She thought that any other man might have turned tail and run long before this, but he'd remained beside her, not pushing her, simply being there. And in turn, she'd fallen even more in love with him. This weekend would be a test for her, she didn't have Henry there as a buffer for her, her escape when she felt the two of them getting too close for her comfort.

Before long, it was time to put on their seatbelts, they were getting ready to land. Dave had arranged for a limo, this weekend was going to be a real experience for JJ, he was giving her the best he could provide. JJ actually giggled, watching him handle everything, getting them through the airport in record time. The man was smooth, she'd give him that. Before she knew it, she was ensconced in the backseat of the limo, settling in for the ride to the airport. She resumed holding his hand, not talking, simply watching the scenery, just taking it all in. He finally broke the silence, needing to hear her voice.

"So, what do you want to do after lunch, sweetheart? The city is yours, you tell me, I'll arrange it." he told her.

"I don't know Dave, there is so much I'd like to do. It's touristy, so it might drive you nuts. I'd love to see the Empire State Building, a ride through Central Park, the Statue of Liberty. The museums, the galleries. I want to see so much, and I want to see them with you." she answered back.

"JJ, as long as I'm with you, none of that will drive me nuts. You know I'd do anything to make you happy." he said, gazing at her intently.

"I know, Dave, I know." she whispered back to him. She smiled then, happy with everything. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, she felt relaxed and free finally.

The rest of the journey was a silent one, but not oppressive, just a comfortable one between two people at peace with one another. They got to the hotel and checked in, and were shown up to the suite he'd booked. The bellboy put her bags in one room, Dave's in another, and JJ looked at the view out the window, while Dave tipped the bellboy. He shut the door as he left, and for the first time, JJ and Dave were alone with one another for the first time in a long time. JJ realized it, but it didn't phase her. One thing she'd realized, after the weeks of therapy with Dr. Anderson, was that Dave would never hurt her like Will had. The therapy had helped JJ come to terms with that, and this weekend was in fact, Dr. Anderson's suggestion, a way to get the relationship back on track for both of them. JJ needed to know if she was ready to move on, let the past go, and go forward with Dave. She knew she didn't want to lose him, and so far, JJ was proud of the way she acted.

JJ also realized what Dave was doing, he was courting her again, and she smiled one of her heartwarming smiles at him. He was taking things slow, just like in the beginning of their relationship, and it warmed her heart that he was willing to do that again. He still wanted her, he wasn't giving up on them. And if he could do it, so could she. She worked up the nerve, and walked over to where he was standing, making himself a drink. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, giving him a hug. Initially, he stiffened, but he relaxed into her embrace. He put his drink down, and turned, hoping he wasn't being too forward, and returned her embrace. JJ laid her head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart. She sighed again, and he kissed the top of her head. They remained like that for several minutes, til Dave realized they had to get a move on, it was time to go to the restaurant. JJ freshened up a bit, brushed her hair, and they were out the door, ready to enjoy the city, and time with one another, for the first time in what seemed a very long time.

They sat in the restaurant, Dave ordered a favorite meal that he'd had before, while JJ chose a dish she'd liked in other places, hoping this place would do it justice as well. JJ sipped a wine that Dave had ordered, feeling like she was being so much the tourist by the amount of gawking she was doing. She struggled to control herself, it wasn't her first time traveling. But it was the first time she'd done the tourist thing in awhile. Usually, on cases, there was nothing but their work, as was to be expected.

"So, where to after here?" he asked her casually.

"Let's try the Empire State Building. Always wanted to go there, never been. I think it would be a good place to start." JJ said. She smiled at him shyly, afraid he'd think she was silly.

Far from that though, Dave smiled at her, and contacted the limo service to give them their destination for when they left the restaurant. If JJ wanted to do this, he was up for it. It had been many years since he'd done any of this himself, and what better way to reacquaint oneself with it then with someone he loved. Their food arrived shortly thereafter, and they both dug in. Dave was glad to see JJ eating like she was, she'd lost a lot of weight in the weeks since the attack, but she was coming around with everything. Whatever therapy was doing for her, he fully approved, because JJ had come so far in the last month. Yes, the changes may have seemed quick, but JJ was a remarkably resilient woman, and this weekend was proving that to him. And he intended for her to enjoy it, and maybe, just maybe, set them on a course towards their future that he only hoped that JJ would agree to.


	32. Chapter 32

JJ closed the door to her part of the suite and collapsed on the bed, exhausted. Dave and her had done as much as possible in New York for one day, and her feet were aching. She examined the ceiling as she lay there, thinking about the day. Dave had been a gentleman the whole day, doing whatever she wished, doing nothing more than holding the hand that she had offered him. When they'd gotten back to the suite 15 minutes ago, they'd had a quick drink, and then JJ had excused herself to close herself behind her room door. He'd given her a quick kiss on the forehead, and JJ had found it hard to leave him. As the days had gone by in the last month, she felt herself being drawn closer and closer to him again.

She heard a knock on her room door, and it startled her out of her train of thought. She got off the bed, and opened the door. Dave stood there with a glass of champagne in his hand, and offered it to her. Room service had delivered it, he'd ordered it previously. She took it from his hand, her fingers briefly touching his, and felt a familiar spark between them. She smiled and followed him back out to the sitting room, sitting on the couch.

"So, what's the champagne for, Dave? It's a terrific one, by the way."

"It's in celebration of new beginnings, JJ. I'd like to think that we are getting an opportunity to start over again, fresh. Put the past behind us, and move forward. And I've been thinking, since I've been practically spending all my time with you anyway, I wanted to know if you'd like to move in together. I know this comes out of the blue, I realize that. But I think you know that I'm serious when I say I love you, and I want to be with you. I don't expect anything more out of you than what we're doing now. It will come in time, but I just want to be with you. And I'm hoping you'll say yes."

JJ looked at him wide eyed, startled. Yes, they'd been more or less living together for 2 months now. But to make the jump into living together? Was she ready, especially when she was just getting back on the track with their relationship? She knew he deserved some sort of answer, so she finally spoke.

"Dave, to be honest, I'm going to have to think about it. I want to, I really do. I also realize we practically do live together. But you know I come with a lot of baggage in tow now, and while I think we've made it through the worst, I don't want you to commit to anything and then change your mind later, if I still have so much to deal with. I don't want "us" to be a mistake."

"Jen, nothing could ever make me think that anything between us was a mistake. If you need time, I'll give you lots of time. But I do want to live with you. And as far as baggage goes, I've got plenty in my past that I'm sure would be considered a nightmare. Bottom line, I love you Jen, I want you, I need you to be in my life. And after all this, I just want that even more. I want you to know, I intend to ask you to marry me someday. But for now, living together would be enough, at least for me."

JJ sat back, considering what he'd said. He wanted to Marry her some day. She smiled at that. All this, and he still wanted her to be his. This was why she'd fallen in love with him, the man had a sweet side he liked to keep hidden, beneath his gruff exterior. She got up off the couch then, pacing back and forth suddenly.

"JJ, stop. You're going to wear a hole in the carpet. It shouldn't be a big surprise, you know. I always intended to ask you to move in someday. And I still see no reason why we shouldn't. But I'm not going to push you. The opportunity is there, whenever you want it. You take your time, think about it. Because the offer is good for whenever you want."

Damn, she thought to herself. The man was killing her with kindness. Why was he so damn sweet? She found her voice and finally spoke again. "Dave, give me a few days, okay? It took me a long time to work up the courage for this weekend, and I'm glad we're here. I just need a little time."

"I'll give you all the time in the world, sweetheart. Just know, I love you."

With that, he took her in his arms, and kissed her deeply, the first time he'd done that in what seemed forever. JJ neither flinched, nor pulled back, instead deepening the kiss on her own accord. Dave withdrew from her then, and went to his part of the suite, leaving JJ alone.

She headed into her room, and closed the door then. She sat tentatively on the bed, bringing her fingers up to her lips. She felt like she'd been stung, her lips were still tingling from the kiss. She sat there, thinking about Dave. The man had become her best friend somewhere along the way these last few months. She realized how hard it would be for her to lose him. She wondered if she said no whether she would lose him. She got up, and started getting ready for bed, puttering around. The excitement of the day and the offer tonight left her feeling discombobulated, not knowing what to do. She slipped between the covers, and proceeded to toss and turn for the longest time.

JJ slipped out of bed, not able to sleep, and left her room, looking out the huge windows that were in the living area. She seen how beautiful the city looked in the moonlight, and her mind started to ease somewhat. She closed the curtain again, and instead of heading back to her own room, she entered Dave's. She stood and watched him sleep for awhile, how peaceful, how handsome he looked. Seeming to make up her mind, JJ moved forward, and slipped into bed beside Dave. They hadn't shared a bed for months, and while she wasn't after anything intimate, she needed to hold him in her arms. She pulled up close behind him, reveling in the warmth of his body, his even breathing. He startled awake suddenly, feeling JJ beside him in bed.

"What's wrong, JJ? What happened?" He honestly thought it was something wrong with her, because it had been so long since they'd been in a bed together.

"No, Dave, nothings wrong. I couldn't sleep, and I just needed to feel you near me. I love you, Dave, I love you so much. And I don't want to lose what we have."

"Well, don't push yourself. I love you to much to jeopardize what we have." he whispered to her.

"Dave, I just need to feel your arms around me, tonight, okay? That's all I ask, for now."

He complied by switching positions with her, and encompassing her slight frame in his arms. "I love you, JJ. Don't ever forget that."

"I love you, too, Dave. And I've been thinking, I said I needed time, earlier, but I've been thinking. Yes, I'll move in with you. I don't want to be away from you anymore. Anytime, I'll move in with you."

Dave smiled at that, realizing how far JJ had come in the last month, and he lay there, grateful for the second chance at happiness that JJ was giving him. With a little more time, the nightmare of the last two months would be forgotten, and the dream would begin again.


	33. Chapter 33

JJ awoke with a start in the night, not quite knowing where she was. She started to panic when felt the warm body, and shallow breathing indicating that there was someone else in the room with her. The panic left as she realized that she was laying in a hotel room in New York City, with her boyfriend beside her. She couldn't believe she'd stayed, laying beside him, getting used to his nearness gradually again. She rested her head on his chest, listening once again to his beating heart, glad that the man had not walked out on her in the last few weeks, when he could have just walked away from this troublesome situation.

She enjoyed the warmth, the feel of him near her. What had happened with Will seemed a world away right now, a bad nightmare that she was finally waking up from. She thought she might be ready to let it go now, and really, honestly move on with her life. It wasn't that she didn't still feel the pain he'd caused her, but she couldn't allow it to rule her life. She truly wanted her life back, and even though she didn't intend for anything to go further with Dave, not so soon, anyway, JJ's hands got the better of her. She worked her way under the t-shirt he slept in, gently rubbing his chest. It felt like so much time had passed since she'd done this.

Her movements awakened her partner, and she felt the intake of his breath, as he realized what JJ was doing.

"JJ, hon, stop, okay?" Dave said, even though it killed him to say that.

"Why? It's been so long, sweetie. I miss us." JJ said to him.

Dave groaned, wanting to proceed, but not sure exactly how. Finally, he spoke, "JJ, we'll take it slow, okay? We can have a little makeout session, and when you say stop, we stop. How does that sound?"

"Makeout session? What are we, 17, Dave?" JJ giggled.

"You know what I mean, smart ass. We can fool around a bit, and when you say enough, we stop. At least, I'll try and stop. You know what you do to me, don't you?"

"I know what I do to you, Dave. You do the same to me. You know how to make a girl feel _needed_. And I must say, I've missed it a lot."

Dave didn't speak again, instead kissing her gently on the lips. JJ wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him in closer to her. It had been so long since he'd been able to touch her, and to be allowed to do this made him happier than he had been in a long time. Just before things became too heated however, JJ put a stop to it. It was more than he'd thought he'd be let do on this trip, so he complied, but it didn't stop him from pulling her close and spooning with her.

"When we get home, I want to stay with you like this, Jen. I don't want to sleep without you again. Your rules, darling, and as you can see, I can control my urges. But I don't want you to be out of my arms again. I've missed this so damn much."

JJ lay there, thinking about it. Spooned with him, JJ felt the safest she had in awhile. She finally found her voice, and acquiesced to Dave's wishes. "Okay, Dave. When we get back, I'll move in with you. But I'm not quite ready to move on with some things yet. I can't guarantee every night that I'll lay with you, but I will try. I swear."

That was more than he'd hoped to hear, and Dave smiled in the darkness. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed the back of her neck. "JJ, I love you."

"Love you too. But you know that, don't you." she whispered.

They drifted off to sleep then, worn out from the day, from the changes both of them were going to try. The courting wouldn't be nearly as slow as Dave had imagined, but he didn't mind. He was pleased to be given this chance to reclaim that which had been ripped away by an unstable man. His last thoughts before sleeping again were on how lucky he was.

The next time he awakened, sun was attempting to shine through the curtain, and Dave realized he was now alone in his bed, JJ having disappeared sometime during the night. Panicked, afraid he'd pushed things too far by wanting her to move in, he scrambled out of bed, grabbing his robe. He flung open his door, going to look for her. He stopped short, when he looked out on the balcony of the room, seeing her standing out there. The panic disappeared within him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He opened the door to the balcony, and stepped out, wondering what she was thinking. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She started in his arms, before leaning back into his chest, content.

"What are you doing out here? Is there something wrong?" He asked her.

"Just thinking, sweetie. It was a very enlightening night, and I just needed to get some fresh air and clear my thoughts."

"JJ, you're shivering. Are you sure you don't want to come inside, we can order room service."

"No, I'm fine right now, Dave. It's just odd, having to start practically all over, yet here we are, and I'm going to be moving in with you. How do you think the team will take it? They never officially knew we were a couple before all this happened. Now, we'll be a couple, officially. Do you think they'll take it alright?"

Dave had to laugh at that. He couldn't help it. "JJ, hon, I think they all know we're together. I think they figured it out when I went so nuts trying to find you. I really think it was confirmed because I wouldn't leave your side in the hospital."

"Oh, I hadn't realized. I should have. God, the littlest things, I feel so idiotic sometimes, you know?"

"JJ, it's not idiotic. You were out of it most of the time, and couldn't have known. Plus, we've hardly made it a secret that I've been staying with you, when you could have had Emily or Garcia stay over."

JJ didn't want to talk about this anymore, so she let the subject drop. She finally had enough of the balcony, and turned to go inside, Dave trailing along after her.

"I missed you this morning. I thought you'd disappeared on me." He whispered, as he caught up behind her again, drawing her back against him.

"You looked so peaceful when I woke up, I couldn't bear to awaken you. I did wake you up in the middle of the night, after all." she said to him.

"I didn't mind that at all, sweetheart. In fact, you want to wake me up in the middle of the night, you can do that anytime." He kissed the top of her head.

"I'll keep you to your word, then." JJ escaped his embrace then, heading for her bathroom to get ready for the day.

"What do you want to do today?" he asked, not knowing what she might have in store for them.

"We'll talk when I finish my shower. But I promise, it won't be anything too touristry. At least, I think not. But I may change my mind." she giggled as she closed the door.

In no time at all, JJ was ready, dressed and prepped for the day. She waited for Dave, who was kind of lagging this morning, but she had no complaints. Everything was so much better than she'd anticipated when this weekend started. And she wanted it to remain this way for much longer than just this one weekend.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N Sorry for the delay in the latest chapter, I've been sick the last two weeks. Sorry if it doesn't flow quite as well as it should with the rest, I kind of lost my way for a little bit. Thanks for still reading!**

It's mornings like these that David Rossi wishes he could stay in bed forever. No clocks, no schedules, no sense of time whatsoever – just himself and the beautiful blonde woman beside him, with an entire afternoon all to themselves. That would be plenty enough to sustain him, Dave knows. There's nothing else he could possibly need, and if there is, he doesn't want it.

He has no idea how long he's been awake; minutes, hours, none of it makes any difference to him. Sunlight dances through curtains of sheer white, filling the late morning hour with its warmth and light. The shadows have long since been chased away, allowing the cozy feeling that Dave can only describe as feeling like home to surface. It's taken him so long to find that feeling, a feeling that's been right in front of him ever since he became serious about finding it.

And now she lays beside him, right where he knows she belongs. Her body lays hidden beneath the plush comforter, only her beautiful face, her neck, and the silky skin of a shoulder peeking through, just the right amount of skin showing to tease and tantalize Dave. Upon her face is the purest look of contentment, of peace, and it's all Dave can do to resist reaching out to gently brush a stray strand of blonde away from her face. But he does, opting instead to enjoy the sight before him, watching as JJ breathes serenely, still lost within the realm of dreams.

Ever since they'd started to recover the shards of their relationship, to repair what Will had tried to erase, Dave had mourned the loss of their fledgling relationship. JJ had had problems, of course, and it had taken so long for her to come back to a semblance of herself, but she'd done it. 6 months after the attack, things were more or less, normal between the two of them. A month ago, they'd resumed their sexual relationship, JJ no longer scared that his touch would destroy her. Dave loved her more than ever, content that things were back on track.

He wonders what she dreams; if she dreams the same dreams as he does each and every night.

Sometimes, he asks her. Sometimes the curiosity just gets the best of him, and the question falls from his lips just as his fingertips brush feather-light over some patch of exposed skin; a shoulder, a cheek, a hand. Sometimes, she answers verbally. Other times, she simply smiles coyly as her eyes take on an extra sparkle; it's the look that tells him without a doubt that she'd been dreaming of him, of them, of the future they're building together day by day, dream by dream.

With a soft sigh, JJ shifts just the slightest fraction, and as Dave watches the way her hair moves with that tiny shift, he can almost feel it brush over his bare chest in the most arousing of ways, teasing him with vanilla scented, airy light brushes. It's his favorite way to wake up; feeling a soft weight upon his chest, and awakening to find JJ, her blonde head resting just above his heart. So far, Henry remains asleep in the next room, giving these two some quiet, before the bustle of the day calls to both of them.

He's torn, though. He doesn't want to sacrifice either, but he finds himself with a terrible crick in his neck when he tries to watch JJ's face when she's resting her head atop his chest. As much as he loves the closeness, Dave loves just as much being able to look directly into her face as she sleeps.

So he leaves it up to chance. After all, whether he wakes up with her beside him, or resting her head upon his chest – he knows he won't be disappointed.

JJ gives a soft sigh, and Dave smiles, knowing that at any moment, her eyes will flutter open, and she will leave that wonderful realm of dreams far behind. It's now that he really loves to watch her, studying each and every inch of her beautiful face just as she hovers right there on the edge - that elusive edge between dreams and lucidity, where one second, one tiny noise, one tiny flicker of light could mean the difference between another hour of sleep and the waking moments of a new day.

He watches with amusement as the struggle commences – she doesn't want to awaken from her peaceful slumber, but she's about as skilled at arguing with her internal clock as Dave is at arguing with her. Being the morning person she is, JJ has a tendency to wake with the sun. When they both have to work early, it's usually JJ that's waking him up with kisses or caresses. So Dave is quite surprised that she hasn't awoken yet, given the late morning hour that is well upon them.

Surprised, but very pleased about it.

Her nose twitches adorably, and it's all Dave can do to resist shifting forward and dropping a quick kiss or two to it. Just barely he manages to talk himself out of it, because he knows it would defeat the purpose of his lying awake for most of the morning, just waiting for this moment. He watches, bemused as she tilts her head just the slightest inch, a movement which is encouragement enough for a soft lock of blonde to fall down over her face, brushing just lightly over her skin. She whimpers quietly, her half-asleep form annoyed by the strange tickling sensation. Dave expects her to lift a hand and brush it away, but the fingers of her visible hand merely twitch in response.

A few more moments pass in relative silence, but finally Dave gets to witness the scene he's been waiting on for quite some time. And just as he'd expected, it's no disappointment, not at all.

With the softest of sighs, her eyes finally flutter open, the orbs momentarily holding a sleepy, disoriented look before she quickly blinks it away. She doesn't guard herself around him anymore, but still, there is something about the clear, completely open look in her eyes whenever she first wakes that blows him away. In those moments, they're clearly the windows to her soul, her eyes, and Dave knows that there is no greater high than having JJ Jareau look at him like he's the love of her life.

Her gaze locks with his, and Dave merely lays there, knowing his soul is as bared to her as hers is to him. The feeling couldn't be any more liberating; any more rewarding. "Morning," he murmurs, grinning slightly as he realizes that it's probably closer to afternoon now than morning.

JJ yawns softly, her lithe body moving beneath the comforter as she stretches luxuriously. To Dave's slight disappointment, she lifts and hand and brushes that stray lock of blonde away, tucking it behind her ear. It's disappointment that's fleeting, however, as the movement uncovers just a bit more of her silky skin, revealing it to his eyes. "Mm, mornin'," she replies sleepily, an unmistakable note of amusement lacing her sleep-thickened voice. "What are you doing?"

He's known it for some time, but each time he realizes it again is like a fresh, new dawning; it takes his breath away every single time. He smiles wistfully, losing himself in the deep, blue ocean of her eyes – he loves the way her eyes change color with her mood. From sparkling ice with happiness, to deep, dark sapphire with arousal, to their current shade of sky blue – there is an endless prism of color in her eyes, and it's one activity that he will surely never tire of; laying in bed late in the morning, discovering new shades of blue as they flash through JJ's beautiful eyes.

She blinks those beautiful eyes, and Dave smiles, realizing he's yet to answer her question. "I was watching you," he murmurs, his own eyes picking up on the slightest pink hue in her cheeks.

It's a smile she tries to fight, but in the end it overpowers her as the corners of her lips are lifted upwards. A shy smile it is; she's always been embarrassed to know that he watches her when she's not looking. "Why?" she whispers, her shoulders moving in a coy shrug.

The reply is falling from Dave's lips before he even has time to think about it. "Because you're beautiful," he says, the deepest, most genuine honesty present in his quiet, awed voice.

The quiet, shy giggle that leaves her lips pushes Dave to his limit, and before she can reply in words, he leans in and kisses her full on the mouth, for no other reason than because he can. Whenever, wherever, for whatever reason he wants.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N Sorry for the delay, I've been having difficulty getting a chapter together. Sorry for the short length, and thanks for reading.**

JJ slammed the phone down angrily. Ever since things had come out that the two of them were together on more than a professional basis, the team, as a whole, had ignored the situation. She could tell that Hotch was uncomfortable with it, but as long as they kept things on a professional basis in the office, he didn't say anything. However, she'd just gotten off the phone with him, and was feeling furious. Apparently, the news that Dave and her were an item had finally made it's way to Strauss, and she was not happy to say the least, and had come down hard on Hotch. JJ and Dave now had a 3:00 p.m appointment in Strauss' office, and that upset her tremendously. After all she'd been through, she thought she'd catch a break on all this, but no, Strauss was determined to make an example of them. She had a feeling though that Strauss was not going to come out the winner in this showdown, but it still irked her to no end that they were being dragged up there.

JJ finally calmed down, refusing to let thoughts of Strauss bother her anymore. She'd come through too much in the last little bit, finally had worked her way back around to trusting Dave, and wasn't about to let the dragon lady upstairs interfere. _Think happy thoughts, JJ_, she said to herself. So, she settled for thinking about the man who had her in this situation, the one she realized she couldn't live without anymore. They were having an old-fashioned courtship again, and had recently started the physical side of their relationship again, JJ feeling comfortable enough to restart that finally. The first time since her attack had been tentative, Dave almost feeling like he would break her if he was too forceful. But that hadn't happened, and they were pretty much back to where they were before hand.

Dave would watch her pensively from time to time, and there were a few times when he thought she was asleep when she knew he watched her, and she never felt more loved or protected at those times. All this, had her thinking about making a deep commitment to him. She didn't want to lose Dave, ever, and even though she knew he'd walked down the aisle unsuccessfully three times before, she wanted to marry him. With that in mind, she was formulating a plan, and nothing Strauss said today was going to interfere with that.

JJ grabbed her phone, arranging a very special evening for her and Dave. She felt like they'd come full circle, and bar getting through this meeting with Strauss this afternoon, she was going to need the help of one Penelope Garcia in planning the very special evening. She smiled at the thought of what she was going to do, thoughts of Strauss disappearing from her mind. She was finally happy again, and would take whatever consequences would come her way. She puttered away, putting plans in place, and getting through a conversation with one very curious Garcia without giving anything away was harder than she'd anticipated.

"You do know that I will find out what is up your sleeve, Missy, don't you? Why do you people think you can keep secrets from the all knowing oracle of Quantico? You might as well just tell me now!" Garcia was practically flailing through the phone line.

"Penelope, you'll know right after the evening goes well. Now, you are able to babysit Henry on the 9th, right? That's the date I need this for, I really hope I can get this worked out." JJ fretted.

"The 9th? Now you've given me something to work on. I will find out your secret, you do know that?" Garcia practically cackled.

JJ sighed, knowing that Penelope would probably figure it out, and only hoped she didn't ruin the surprise she was working on for Dave. This was a special evening for the two of them, and not even her nosy best friend or the fire breathing dragon of a boss was going to ruin it for her. JJ finally got off the phone with Garcia, wondering why she'd even bothered getting her involved. She went back to work on making her plans, and was startled when the phone rang.

"Sweetie, it's time to go see Strauss. You ready for this?" Dave asked her.

"As ready as I'll ever be. I'll meet you at your office in 2 minutes, just need to put some files away." JJ hung up, put her planning into a file folder, and straightened herself up, knowing that whatever happened in the next few minutes wouldn't bother her as much not being with Dave. She darted into Dave's office, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, and they set off together, ready to face whatever happened.

A half hour later, a stunned JJ and Dave left Strauss' office. Not only had Dave managed to talk the fire breathing dragon down with veiled threats, by the time they'd made their exit, Strauss was behind their relationship, at least superficially. At least she wouldn't be a threat in the future, and JJ was surprised by the change of events, unbelieving how well her man could talk someone like the boss lady down. To say that things were a little tense in the beginning was an understatement, but the way he'd managed to bring things around was just weird. Of course, this was Dave she was thinking about here. He was a negotiator, and he'd managed to do that to Strauss, and she'd fallen for it. Once they'd made their way to the BAU offices, she'd pulled Dave into her office and gave him a huge kiss.

"And what was that for?" Dave questioned her finally, after they'd finally taken a step back from one another.

"What, you don't like my way of saying thank you? Fine, I won't do that again." JJ pretended to pout.

"I didn't say I didn't like it, it just wasn't expected. Didn't we just promise Strauss we would keep things professional at work?" he amusingly asked her.

"We may have promised her, but I don't see her in here at this particular moment. The door is closed, the blind is drawn. What she doesn't know, won't hurt us. Besides, it's just a kiss." JJ giggled.

"Keep it up, it will be more than just a kiss." Dave pulled her in for another.

They finally broke apart, and got back to work, making plans to go to dinner later on as a celebration of the way things had gone for them. After all the misery of the last while, it felt good to have something go well for them. And with that, JJ went back to work, planning her surprise for Dave on the 9th of the month.


	36. Chapter 36

The 9th of the month arrived more quickly than JJ had anticipated, but the surprise she had planned was ready. She was surprised that she'd been able to keep things hidden from Dave for so long, but she'd actually managed to pull this off so far. Now, only to make it through to the end of the evening. JJ prayed for no new cases that would call their attention, making them leave town, and putting the kibosh on her careful planning. For a change, though, luck was with JJ, and there was no need to fly out of town.

When JJ had told Dave that she had plans for tonight, and it involved him getting, he'd gotten quite excited. He'd noticed that she'd been happier lately, throwing herself into planning something. And while he was curious, he didn't push for details, glad to see that she was his old JJ, happy, giggling and full of life. He knew she'd tell him sooner or later, and he was right on that. When she'd requested that he keep this evening free, and to dress nicely for a dinner date, he was surprised. What amazed him even more is that one Penelope Garcia didn't seem to be in on whatever it was that JJ had cooked up. If she did know, the gossip would have been all over the BAU by now. And Morgan would have been all over him, baiting him about knowing something he didn't.

At this point, all Dave knew was that he was to be ready to go to dinner at 8 tonight, and to be dressed nicely. The rest was on JJ. So, as soon as he could, he escaped the BAU, holding JJ's hand as they walked to the elevator. As they entered the elevator, he asked if they should head down and pick Henry up from the daycare, and got a negative response from her.

"Penelope is picking him up tonight. He's getting auntie Penelope time tonight. I want this evening to be just between us tonight. We haven't had a night together in awhile, and I thought it might be a good evening for that."

"So, where are we going then? Any hints?" Curiosity began to creep up in him.

JJ smiled shyly at him, and then she got a wicked glint in her eye. "Nope, no hints, no nothing. Just be ready to go at 8 tonight." JJ grinned at that. She sincerely hoped that things would go her way this evening, and they would have reason to celebrate the rest of the night.

Dave looked at her, and her grin was contagious. He gave up hinting around and just said "okay, okay then. I give up. You get to surprise me!"

They left the building and headed for their vehicles. JJ was going for a rare evening at her rented home, wanting to get ready there. Rossi headed for Little Creek, trying to decide what constituted "nice" for JJ.

As soon as JJ left the parking lot, she headed quickly to pick up her dress, and a special gift for Dave. Everything was turning out beautifully. Finished her errands, she arrived at her place, and quickly made her way to the shower, washing the stress of the day away. In no time at all, she was ready, and she heard a knock on her front door. Swiftly heading down the stairs, she looked out and seen it was the limo driver she'd arranged for the evening. Being Dave Rossi's girlfriend did have some advantages, and getting a good rate on a limo for the evening was one of them.

During the ride out to Little Creek, JJ's nerves started to get the better of her. As much as she wanted for this whole evening to go well, in the back of her mind she almost believed it would all go round. She breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived at Dave's cabin. The limo driver hopped out, holding the door open for JJ. She went quickly to the door, knocking when she knew she didn't have to, but she wanted to see Dave's face when he seen the limo waiting for him. He opened the door, saying "JJ, why wouldn't you--" and broke off. He seen the limo waiting out front, and did a double take.

"What's going on, JJ? A limo? Where are we going?"

JJ smiled, enjoying the fact that she seemed to have surprised him. "You'll see, my dear, you'll see. Now, are you ready to go?" offering her arm to him.

He took it, and the pair walked down the steps together. The limo driver opened the door for them and they stepped into the limo. The door was shut and they were on their way.


	37. Chapter 37

"JJ, where are we going? Why would you hire a limo? You know I can get a deal for you on something like this, why wouldn't you ask me to help you?" Dave fretted.

"Dave, if I asked for help, it wouldn't be a surprise. And I did use your name and they gave me a good rate for the evening. Don't worry so much, I wanted this to be a special evening for the two of us, and if paying for a limo for transportation is part of it, well, sit back and enjoy the ride." JJ smiled at him, clutching his hand tightly.

Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere with his protests, Dave reached over and gave her a peck on the lips, and held her hand tightly. Whatever JJ was up to, it certainly was bringing out the sneakiness in her. And he kind of liked that.

Shortly there after, the limo pulled to a stop, and the door opened. Dave got out first, and helped JJ out and stood there in surprise. They stood in front of the restaurant where he'd taken JJ on their first date out together. Looking at her more closely, he now realized she was wearing the same wonderful dress she'd had on that evening, and she looked absolutely splendid.

"JJ, you look wonderful, and you know I love this place. Thanks for taking us here. It's a wonderful treat. This place means a lot to me." He wanted her to know he loved her efforts, whatever she may have been up to. He knew that dining here wouldn't be the only surprise of the evening.

"Well, Dave, I love this place too. It's a very special part of our history together. I hope we have many more evenings here, and that this will be a wonderful part of our story."

"Jen, it already is a special part of our story. This is where we had our first date."

"I know Dave, I just want a fresh start, with fresh memories. And I want to start over here."

He brought her hand up to his lips, giving it a kiss. He wanted nothing more to be here with her, and if she needed a fresh start, so be it.

They had a pleasant evening, chitchatting away, and Dave was amazed at how lovely and confident JJ was this evening. No matter the hardship of the last few months, JJ had managed to overcome it all. As soon as he possibly could, he wanted to ask her to marry him, if she would have him. He'd never loved anyone more than he loved her, and he did not want to lose her.

The meal was wonderful as usual, and before they knew it, they were finished. The wait staff all seemed to hover over them, smiling and fussing over them more than usual, and they soon escaped the small restaurant. Climbing back into the limo, they made a short journey before arriving at the same museum that he'd taken her to on their first date. Whatever her intentions, JJ certainly was recreating a perfect evening for the two of them.

They climbed the steps to the museum, and a smiling guard let them in. Whatever was happening, everybody certainly seemed to be happy about it. Curiosity certainly was beginning to get to Dave, he wanted to know why everyone seemed to be smiling at them. They entered the museum, but instead of the tour of the exhibits, JJ lead him to the glass atrium, the beautiful area where they'd shared their first kiss in what seemed so long ago.

They entered the atrium, and the place was even more wonderful than he remembered. Lights sparkled on every tree, twinkling like stars. Very low lighting created a very romantic atmosphere, and Dave let JJ lead him to the center of the room, where a blanket was laid out and champagne awaited them. Sitting down on the blanket, Dave wrapped his arm around her.

"Did you do all this for us? Is this what all the planning has been about the last few weeks?" he whispered to her.

"You knew I was planning something?" JJ pouted a little bit, thinking she'd been more careful than that.

"Jen, it's okay. Whatever you were planning has certainly brought back your sparkle. It's made you happier than I've seen you in awhile. And I love this. You know how I love this place. I love you." Dave kissed her gently on the lips, hoping to bring her out of her pout. JJ eagerly kissed him, before pulling back, and getting on her knees. Suddenly unsure of herself, she looked at his curious face, and any doubt she had disappeared.

Haltingly, she she started to speak, the surprise she'd been planning finally coming to fruition.

"Dave, you've been my friend, my lover, my everything. You've stood by me when other men would have run. You are a wonderful father to my son, you're everything I could ever ask for and more. And I've come to the realization that I don't want to ever be without you. I love you, more than you can imagine. And I would love you if you would be my husband. Will you marry me?" JJ was almost crying at this point, hoping he would say yes. She pulled out an insignia ring, an equivalent to an engagement ring she hoped. It was silly, but she wanted to give him a ring, having been the one to decide to propose.

Dave looked at the ring, and seen their initials entwined on the surface. He looked into the eyes of the woman he loved, and knew that he'd never loved anyone more than he did her. He wanted nothing more than to be with her for the rest of his life. Getting up on his knees, he put his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace and a deep kiss.

"Is that a yes?" JJ asked him, after several minutes of being kissed senseless.

"That's a yes, Jen. I would love to marry you. I never want to be with anyone else. I love you."

He pulled her into an embrace again, kissing her deeply. She slipped the ring on his finger, and Dave felt silly not having a ring to give her back.

"Tomorrow, we get you a ring." he told her.

"You don't have to do that, I'm the one who asked you to marry me!" JJ protested.

"JJ, I'm buying you a ring. I want to. You deserve it. And if I don't, I believe Garcia will hunt me down and kill me. I'm buying you a ring."

JJ smiled and let out a giggle, knowing that Garcia would squawk if Dave didn't provide a stunning engagement ring.

"You're right, of course. I will love anything you pick for me. I love you, Dave."


	38. Chapter 38

In the limo, on the way back to Little Creek, Dave held JJ closely to him. They'd spent another hour at the museum, just sitting there in the atrium, holding each other close. JJ had held him so tight that he'd wondered if he'd ever be able to move. He had a feeling that she was close to bursting into tears time and again, but not from sadness. The woman was bubbling, and it was contagious. For an old bachelor like himself, her enthusiasm was a breath of fresh air. He wanted her to be his wife in the worst way, and they would celebrate their engagement thoroughly when they got home. But for now, he was content to hold her in his arms.

It wasn't long before the limo started up the driveway for his house, and next thing they knew, the ride was over. The driver held the door open for him, and Dave tipped the man handsomely. JJ grabbed Dave's hand and led him to the door of the cabin, entering the house quickly. Dave knew where this night was going, and he was a happy man to say the least.

When morning came, he awoke to find his bed empty. He missed having her at his side, having gotten used to having her there. He got up, looking for her, and found her outside on the deck, wearing his bathrobe. Without any makeup on, JJ was still the most beautiful woman to him. He came up behind her, and enveloped her in a hug. She leaned back into him, relaxing into his embrace.

"JJ, come back to bed. We don't have to get going for a bit yet. Garcia is taking Henry straight to the nursery, right?"

"Yeah, she is. I know I should be with him, I just wanted a little bit of us time. Things have been so weird, and I just wanted to be with you. You've made me a very happy woman, do you know that? I love you, Dave."

"I love you too, sweetheart. After work, we go find you a ring. I want the world to know that you are going to be Mrs. Jennifer Rossi. You deserve the best."

"We don't have to, Dave. I asked you to marry me, remember?"

"Only cause you beat me to it. It's been on my mind for ages now, and I should have asked you a hell of a lot sooner. But this way, we'll have a wonderful story to pass down to our children. Speaking of which, I was wondering if you would do me the honor of allowing me to adopt Henry? To legally become my son?"

JJ looked at Dave, wondering why she'd never seen how sweet the man was before her whole relationship with Will. But, in the haze of first love with Will, she'd seen Dave as only a coworker, and never anything more. Too bad her damn subconsciousness hadn't kicked in a whole lot sooner, and saving her the grief of all that transpired. The only thing good that had come out of it was Henry. And here, the love of her life wanted her son too.

"Dave, I would be very glad if you want to adopt Henry." She reached up and captured his lips with her. One thing lead to another, and they celebrated once again.

When they finally managed to get to work, they managed to keep their engagement a secret for about as long as it took one Penelope Garcia to track them down. One look at the two of them, and it was like she had a psychic connection to them.

"Oh my god, you're engaged, aren't you! Where's the ring? Where did he propose? When did he propose? Did you say yes? Of course you said yes, you're both smiling!"

She grabbed JJ's hand, frowning when she seen the lack of a ring. "Okay, Mr. Moneybags, why no ring? There should be a huge honking ring on this finger. You better rectify this, and soon, mister!"

"Calm down, Garcia! We're going out after work to pick out a ring! And I don't have a ring because Dave didn't propose to me, I proposed to him! And he said yes."

Garcia stopped and stared at the both of them. "Are you saying this man wouldn't ask you to marry him, so you had to take matters into your own hands? Is this why you've had a veil of secrecy over you the past few weeks? You were planning the big surprise?"

"Well,it's not that I didn't want to, Garcia! She beat me to it. And in a most magnificent way, if I do say so myself. JJ has quite a romantic streak in her. And yes, I agreed to marry the lovely Jennifer Jareau. And if it makes you feel better, you can help plan the wedding. We'd love to have your help in doing so."

This stopped Garcia once again. "You will not be sorry on this. I will help you two plan the perfect wedding. Now, am I allowed to tell anyone you're engaged, or is it a big secret?"

"Could we keep it between us for a little while? I mean, if you're wondering where an engagement ring is, the speculation will run rampant throughout if we don't have a ring. Can you keep a lid on it til we have a ring there?" Rossi asked her.

"For you two, anything. I mean, you're letting me help plan the wedding. I'll be glad to keep it quiet for you two. But I want first dibs when I can!"

With that, Penelope shooed them out of her office, and the two proceeded to their offices, wondering how long before the rest of the team would guess the news of their engagement.


	39. Chapter 39

"I blame you for this, David Rossi! What were you thinking, telling Garcia she could help plan our wedding? I don't think I can survive this without killing her. She's driving me crazy! And I love Garcia, so do you know how hard it is for me to say this?" an exasperated JJ whispered to Dave over the phone. She was in her fourth dress shop of the day, having been dragged there by her "best friend". Which she sincerely doubted she would be if this didn't end soon. Every dress that JJ liked, Garcia didn't. What Penelope liked, JJ hated. That's how it had been for the last 3 hours, and JJ's head had been pounding for the last twenty minutes. The woman couldn't be reasoned with, and JJ blamed Dave for this. Helping plan the wedding. A little input was nice, but Garcia had a habit of utterly taking over, and JJ, as much as she loved her, was having a lot of trouble dealing with it.

"JJ, look at this one! It's perfect for you, you'll look like an angel floating down the aisle!" Garcia cooed.

"I've got to go, Dave, but you will pay for this. Mark my words, if I'm having to suffer, you will too. You're going tux shopping with her!" And with that, JJ hung up on her fiancé.

JJ looked up to see what dress Garcia had dragged back to her this time. It was a cream colored sheath, one that JJ thought she might actually like. Til Garcia turned it around and there was a huge bow on the butt.

"No, Pen, no. No huge bows, no dripping with beading, no huge skirts, no, no, no!" JJ told her friend. "As much as I love you, and I do, your taste in wedding dresses is horrendous. I think we may need to agree for us to find something else to do on the wedding, and I'll take dress shopping on my own. However, maybe we could look for bridesmaid dresses. After all, you're going to be my maid of honor, right?"

JJ hoped she'd managed to put a stop to Garcia, while at the same time mollifying with bridesmaid dress shopping. Somehow, it worked. Garcia lit up again, grabbed the wedding dress, and headed back in, looking for a dress that her and Emily could look fabulous in. Of course, whether Emily would think it was gorgeous or not was a distinct non-possibility, but this wasn't Emily's wedding. She could suck it up.

She sat back again, grabbing her purse to find some Tylenol. Dry-swallowing, she awaited to see what Garcia would find, and determined that she was going to relax and try to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Garcia on a mission was a force to be reckoned with, and JJ was glad that this place was the last one on their rounds. No matter, at least she had Garcia focused and happy again. She hadn't meant to be extremely forceful with her, but enough was enough.

Ten minutes later, Garcia came back wearing a lovely wine colored dress. Something that JJ would have actually picked as a bridesmaids' dress.

"It takes you ten minutes to pick the perfect bridesmaid gown, but we still can't find a wedding dress for me that we agree on? Garcia, you are maddening!" JJ giggled.

"What can I say, I know what I like for myself. For you, that's another story. And I guess we have to run it by Emily first, but can we choose this one? Please, JJ? I really like these ones." Garcia pleaded.

JJ laughed, relieved that something had finally gone smoothly today. "Okay, but you get to tell Emily she missed out on dress shopping. I'm sure she will have hated to miss this experience!"

After finishing at the dress shop, the girls decided to call it quits and head for a bite to eat. Shopping took a lot out of them, and the two of them needed a break. Settling on a small cafe, it wasn't long before they were seated and awaiting their orders.

"JJ, I'm sorry I've been a little forceful. I just want this to be perfect for you. This is your wedding to a great guy, and I want it to be the best wedding I can help make it for you."

"Pen, it's okay. But I think I'll go dress shopping myself, get some ideas and then run it past you. I'd hate to kill my maid of honor before the wedding. I really don't want to go to jail."

Garcia looked at JJ, stunned. "Have I really been that bad?"

JJ, although not wanting to hurt her friend, but no real way of getting out of it, came out with "You and I have very different opinions of what we want in a wedding dress. Our styles are clashing. And as much as I love you, you're driving me nuts. But it's okay, cause you know why? You're getting to go tux shopping with Rossi. Enjoy yourself on that, okay?"

Garcia sniffed at that, saying "He'll shoot me if I drive him nuts, won't he?"

JJ giggled, "That he just may, so you better be careful. Just remind the man that nobody wants him in jail before he makes me legal, so you two better get along."

"Deal. Now, you should see the ideas I have for the wedding cake. When we get home, I'll show them to you."

With that, lunch arrived, and JJ was left to ponder exactly how she could punish Rossi when she got home for asking Garcia to help plan their upcoming wedding.


	40. Chapter 40

"Jennifer Jareau, you are an evil, evil woman. I will never shop with Garcia again!" Dave Rossi said to his fiancée.

"David Rossi, turnabout is fair play. I got stuck looking for wedding dresses with her, you should only be able to share in the joy of this. After all, you're the one who told her she could help plan our wedding." JJ said to him.

"Dammit, woman, she's going to be the death of me, and we won't even get to the wedding! All I need is a black suit, a nice tie, shiny shoes. She wants me to wear a cummerbund. Me. I don't think so!"

JJ giggled, turnabout was fair play. After the dress shopping disaster, she didn't actually care if her fiancé was distressed about it.

"Maybe we should elope then. Cut out the middle man, go to Vegas and get hitched." JJ told him.

"That's a terrific idea, JJ! I'll arrange the flight now, if you'll marry me now!"

"Do you feel like being hunted down by a mad maid of honor? Cause if we do that, she will hunt us down. I was joking, Dave. All I'm saying is, I think we better hurry up with this if we even want to make it to the wedding. She's making us argue with each other, which I really, really hate to do."

"Ah, yes, but think of what we can do to make up to each other. Makeup sex is the best, my dear."

"You, thinking about sex all the time. You really are a devil, aren't you?"

"But you love me, otherwise you wouldn't have asked me to marry you."

"You're going to hold that over my head forever, aren't you?"

"Hey, I was going to ask you, but I find it adorable that you proposed to me. You are a beautiful bride to be, and you're all mine!"

At that, he picked JJ up in his arms and planted a huge kiss on her lips. She giggled, feeling a lightness to her that she hadn't felt in awhile.

"Can we make up now? Garcia has Henry for another couple of hours yet. I hated turning my son over to her, but hey, she's looking for a tiny little tux for him, so he can be in the wedding."

In response, Dave kissed her again, pulling her into an eager embrace.

"First one up stairs gets to strip the other." JJ whispered to her fiancé. Dave took one look at her and took off at a pace that JJ didn't believe. When the man was given incentive, he certainly could act like a man half his age. JJ giggled and started up the stairs. This was one race she didn't mind losing. Dave could be very inventive in stripping her, she'd give him that. Both enjoyed this part of their relationship immensely, moreso since JJ had finally been able to conquer her earlier problems with trust. She couldn't imagine being with anyone but Dave anymore. She hit the top step, walking towards their bedroom, eagerly anticipating the forthcoming activities that were about to occur in there.

She entered the room, and didn't see him standing there. Puzzled, she looked around, looking for him. He came out of his walk in closet just then, startling her.

"Don't do that! You scared me!" JJ laughed. Dave looked at her and smiled.

"I have something for you. Something that will get Penelope off your back."

"What? Nothing will get that woman off my case."

"Oh, this might temper her somewhat."

Dave got down on one knee in front of JJ. Realizing what was coming, and even though she'd already proposed to him and they were engaged, she'd known that he wanted to do so also. She looked down at his hands and seen a ring box contained within them.

"JJ, I know we're already engaged. But I wanted you to know that I love you very much. This is my chance to propose to you. So, Jennifer Ann Jareau, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? To show you how much I love you and your son?" He opened the ring box, and brought the ring out of the box. It was gorgeous and huge. It fit her finger perfectly.

Crying again, JJ hugged him, saying "yes, I'll be your wife. I love you Dave, more than you'll ever know. Now, I believe someone promised a chance to be stripped around here. Do you think you could perform that task?"

"You bet, sweetheart, you bet." Dave took her into his arms again, kissing her deeply, before celebrating their renewed engagement once again.


	41. Chapter 41

JJ was just finishing up a piece of French toast when she suddenly felt queasy in her stomach. Without warning, she ran into the bathroom and threw up in the toilet. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She couldn't remember eating anything that tasted bad; hell, Dave had took her out to dinner after work and she was able to digest what she had on her plate.

_I hope everything's okay. Maybe it's something I ate last night. I feel and look fine. I'm sure it'll pass soon, _she thought as she walked out of the bathroom and finished getting dressed for the day. .

But, as she was getting ready, she wound up back in the bathroom, having another unexpected meeting with the porcelain gods. Then, in a state of shock, she was reminded of what it had been like when she was pregnant with Henry. She did a hurried mental count of when her last period had been and realized that she was late and hadn't even noticed it. She needed to head to town and get a pregnancy test, as soon as possible. Dave had taken Henry with him, a boy's day out apparently, so she was alone in the cabin. They'd actually scored a weekend off, and JJ had avoided spending it with wedding details with Garcia. Thank goodness Kevin had interceded, and taken her away for a weekend, protests and all. JJ hadn't been alone for a long time, and now she had to deal with this. Washing up, grabbing her coat, she scribbled a note in case Dave came back while she was gone. She didn't mention anything, other than she needed to pick up a couple of things in town.

Getting in her car, she didn't know exactly how she felt about this. She'd known she wanted another child, someday, but right now she wasn't so sure about. Henry was doing fine, work was fine, hell, even things with Dave were fine. But having another child at this time hadn't been in her plans. Doing a hurried count, she tried to figure out when she could possibly have gotten pregnant. The only time she could figure out was that it happened the day Dave had given her the engagement ring. Panic welled up in her. God, if she didn't know how she felt about this, what would Dave's reaction be?

Pulling up in front of the little pharmacy, she hurried in. She grabbed the same test as she'd used last time, figuring it was pretty reliable. It had been right about Henry, after all. Making her purchase, she headed home, needing to know what it said. Arriving back at the cabin, she noticed that Dave's vehicle wasn't back yet. She was actually relieved he wasn't there, wanting to do this test by herself. Letting herself into the cabin, she locked the door, and headed for the guest bathroom. Following the instructions, now, it was a waiting game. When it was done, the little test confirmed for her what she had feared earlier. She was pregnant.

JJ sat on the floor of the bathroom, staring at the little stick. She was pregnant. Again. Except this time, it was with Dave's child. She had no idea how he would feel. Yes, they were engaged, the wedding was coming fast enough. But a child so soon, when she had a young child? After the trauma of the year, she wasn't sure she could deal with this. Placing her head in her hands, she allowed herself a little cry.

She had no idea how long she sat there, but she heard Dave come into the house sometime later. She got up from her seated position, her legs numb. Shaking it off, she made her way down to the living room, looking at her two men. Henry held his arms out for his mama, and JJ took him, kissing him gently on the forehead. Taking off his coat, she settled him onto his blanket. Turning to Dave, she attempted a weak smile, but Dave knew something was off with her.

"Baby, you don't look so good. Are you okay?" Dave looked at JJ with concern.

"I'm fine. I threw up twice this morning. Maybe it was something I ate last night. I did eat a lot at the restaurant," she told him softly. She turned to look out at the lake, not knowing how to tell him that she was pregnant.

Dave came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him and sighed deeply. She turned around so she could face him, then she wrapped her arms around his neck. He leaned over and slanted his mouth on hers tenderly. She tightened her arms around his neck, never wanted to let him go. When they pulled apart, they just looked at each other and smiled.

Deciding to swallow her fears, and tell her bit of news, JJ hung onto him even tighter. Hearing Henry in the background, she decided to start with that.

"Dave, I know you love Henry, but have you ever considered us having a child? As in siblings for Henry?" JJ asked, apprehensive in what he would say.

"I've thought about it. I've just figured I'm too old, and it won't happen between us. As I see it anyway, Henry is my son. Any more would be a blessing. But it's not something I expect to happen." He told her, holding her closely. He really didn't know where she was going with this.

"Sweetheart, well, it's happening. I took a pregnancy test this morning, and it's positive. I'm pregnant." She looked at his eyes, hoping she'd see something positive in them.

Dave stood back, still holding JJ. "Seriously? You're pregnant? When?"

"The night you gave me the engagement ring. By my figuring, anyway, until I get to the doctor and we can figure it out." JJ looked at him. She was nervous, and didn't know why.

Dave felt stunned. As glad as he was that JJ was pregnant, he still didn't know if it was the best thing for them right now. She'd just gotten back to what he considered her normal self. Still, it was his child she was carrying. This was new, unexpected. He was happy about it, but worried too.

"Well, aren't you going to say something? Anything?" JJ asked him.

"It's wonderful, sweetheart, just wonderful. I just can't believe it, that's all." Dave tried to hide his doubts.

"You think it's too soon, don't you?" JJ replied, sadly.

"I just want you to be strong enough for this, JJ. Another child is really going to take things out of you." Dave said.

"So, you think this is a bad thing. Do you want me to get rid of it?" JJ said, almost in tears. She needed reassurance right now, and all she was getting was more doubts and fears.

"I didn't say that, JJ. I said I want you to be strong enough for this." He stepped towards her, wanting to take her in his arms again.

Instead, JJ took a step back, and turned. "I have to think some more, Dave. I have to clear my mind. Could you, uh, please look after Henry for me? I'll be back, I just need some time to think."

Dave could only watch as JJ grabbed her coat and purse and left. All he could think was that he'd really screwed things up now, and he had no idea how to fix this.


	42. Chapter 42

JJ drove aimlessly. She didn't know why she should feel upset with Dave, other than she needed his support and instead met her doubts face to face. She didn't know if she wanted this child anymore than he did. Still, it was a part of them, and that in itself meant a lot to her. She headed away from the familiar landscape she knew, and just kept driving. She didn't cry, she just clutched the wheel. She ignored the phone that rang occasionally. She didn't want to speak to anyone, she just needed to think.

Back at the cabin, Dave berated himself for failing to realize that JJ needed more support than he'd given her. He loved Henry as if he were his own. For some reason, he hadn't thought that JJ would ever have his own child. He'd been married three times and it had never happened. But with JJ, things happened that he never expected to. And this time, when she needed him again, he'd let her down. He kept trying to phone, but she didn't pick up. He worried for her, but realized she needed some time to calm down. And when she did return, he'd make sure she knew he was behind her all the way.

JJ finally stopped when she needed a break. She actually had no idea where she was, she'd been so caught up in her thoughts. When she checked the name of the town, she discovered she'd driven 100 miles away from Little Creek. Checking her watch, she seen that an hour and half had passed by. She needed a drink, so found a convenience store. Walking in, JJ watched a woman about her age trying to rangle two young children. She was trying to hold the baby, pay for her purchases and keep her other child out of the candy. She just looked so overwhelmed, that JJ felt bad for her. JJ grabbed a bottle of ginger ale and went to pay. The woman was just going out the door, and JJ just watched. The clerk spoke, bringing JJ back to reality.

"Kind of makes you not want to have kids, huh?" the teenage girl said to her.

"It's not so bad. She seemed to handle it." JJ said, thinking of her own situation.

"Yeah, well, if that's what it's like, I'll be lucky if I even have one. She looked like she wanted to pull her hair out."

JJ paid for her purchase without commenting anymore. _Would that be what it's like when the new baby arrived?, s_he thought to herself. Trying to rangle Henry while holding the baby, carrying an ever growing diaper bag for two children? How had this happened to her? She wanted her career, she wanted her home life, she just wasn't sure she was prepared for this new development. Climbing back into her car, she headed for Little Creek. Lost in the daze of thinking about her impending future, she never even seen the truck coming through the red light. The next thing she remembered was being pulled from her car, and feeling great pain in her arm.

"We have a female, late twenties, with an apparent fracture to her right arm. No other visible injuries, maybe a concussion...."

JJ listened, but faded in and out of consciousness. Coming back into focus, she told them she was pregnant. After that, she faded into a blackness.

Hours later, she finally woke up. Groggily she looked around, a dim light filling the room. Once again, she was in a hospital, this time she was alone. She looked at her arm, encased in a cast. She was feeling pleasantly numb. She felt a bandage on her forehead, and figured she must have stitches. Her temple was tender to the touch. She rang the buzzer, wondering where she was, if anybody had contacted Dave. She just wanted him near her right now.

The nurse came in a moment later, a warm smile on her face. "Ms. Jareau, good to see you awake! Now, you just relax, the doctor will be here in a minute, get you up to date."

"Where am I? How's my baby? I'm pregnant. Has anyone contacted my fiancee?" JJ asked all at once.

"You're in Charlottesville. You're a long way from home. You'll have to discuss your condition with your doctor, and yes, your fiancee has been contacted. He was in here earlier, and just went for a coffee 10 minutes ago. He'll be back in a few minutes. The man looked like he was in shock, seeing you lay in this bed."

JJ wondered why the nurse couldn't tell her about her baby. It was a simple question. She looked at her arm, wrapped in a cast. She placed her right hand on her belly, but that wasn't telling her anything. She struggled to sit up in bed.

"Now, Ms. Jareau, the doctor will be here in a minute. You need to lay back and rest."

JJ complied, still feeling weak. Her mind went into overdrive, thinking about anything and everything. When did her dreams of Dave become this nightmare? It seemed like life was conspiring to make everything in their life a trial. She loved him more than anything, and wished he'd come in the door. When the door swung open, she almost held her breath, hoping it was him, but it turned out to be the doctor.

"Ms. Jareau, it's good to see you awake. You have a broken arm, and although you told us you were pregnant, when we did the exam, it appears that you are not expecting. When did you find out you were pregnant?"

"I took a pregnancy test this morning, and it came up positive!" JJ said, not believing the doctor.

"Well, it looks like you had a false positive. All our tests have come up negative. Except for your loss of consciousness and your broken arm, you can probably be released in the morning. There doesn't appear to be any other damage internally, so you should be good to go. We'll give you some pain killers, because you are going to be sore from this. You took a heck of a blow. The guy that hit you was drunk, went right through the red."

"Are you sure it's a false positive? I was sick this morning too, morning sickness. And it was the same pregnancy test I used when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I can't believe I'm not pregnant." JJ stared at her lap, unbelieving that she wasn't expecting. She hadn't been sure all day, but learning she wasn't pregnant felt like she'd lost the baby. Any doubts she'd had about not wanting another child evaporated. She wondered if Dave knew yet.

"Ms. Jareau, we're positive. You can get checked out once you get back home, but our findings are that you aren't pregnant. Now, it will take a few weeks for your arm to heal, and your head will be fine, I can assure you of that. We'll monitor you til your release, a Mr. Rossi is here to make sure you get home alright."

Just then, the door opened, and Dave walked in. He looked at JJ, seeing her awake, and his heart just melted. He was just so relieved she was awake, had almost had a heart attack when he'd received the phone call that she'd been in an accident so far away from home. Once he'd informed Hotch and gotten Garcia to look after Henry, he'd headed down straight away. Looking at JJ laying there, he could tell the doctor had told her that she wasn't pregnant.

"Mr. Rossi, as you can see, Ms. Jareau has awakened. We'll release her in the morning, you take good care of her when you get her home. I'll give you some time together, and be back in to check on you again tonight." With that, the doctor left the room.

Dave sat down beside JJ. He took her good hand in his, holding it.

"Doctor says I'm not pregnant." JJ looked at him, her blue eyes starting to tear up.

"I know sweetie, I know."

"Are you relieved?"

"Not really. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and if we're so blessed to have a child one day, I will be right here beside you, looking after the baby, looking after you."

"I did a lot of thinking while I was driving. I do want another child someday, I do. I don't know if I wanted one right now. Things are just getting back to an even keel with us. We have the wedding coming up, and yes, I do want a baby. I just can't believe the test was wrong."

"Do you regret that you aren't pregnant?"

"In ways. I would have dealt with it, I really did think we'd made a little you. Of course, knowing my luck, the child would have been just like you, with your attitude to boot." JJ attempted to joke.

"You know you'd love any child that acted like me. You know you love me."

"I do love you, Dave. I was just shocked this morning, it felt like you didn't want another child."

"It's not that I don't want a child, it's just I didn't think we were ready for one. Give it some time, I will be more than happy and proud to have a child with you." He reached in and kissed her gently on the lips then.

"You know, I'm sick of hospitals. I can't wait til I get home. As soon as possible I want out of here in the morning."

"Will do, sweetheart, will do."


	43. Chapter 43

Two days after her accident, JJ walked stiffly into the BAU offices. Arm in a sling, she stubbornly refused to stay at home, in spite of Dave's pleadings to rest. He'd had to help her dress, and she was bruised, but he didn't protest anymore after she told him she wasn't a child and was perfectly capable of doing her job . He'd backed off, and drove her to work. Since her car was totaled, he was her ride now. They'd just told the team she'd been in a car accident, had broken her arm, but no other details, which is how JJ had wanted things.

First one to see her was Spence. He'd called after hearing of her accident, but JJ hadn't wanted to see anyone. She was sick of hospitals, sick of being hurt. The less questions anybody asked her, the better, because in the mood JJ was in, she wasn't answering. She even managed to brush off Garcia, who wanted the details. When she couldn't get anywhere with JJ on what happened, she cornered Dave in his office. She didn't do any better with him than she'd done with JJ.

JJ was in a kind of numbness, feeling like her life was spinning out of control. The wedding preparations, the pregnancy scare, the accident. Just everything weighed in on her. She knew she had to get her act together, before her personal life affected her job, and she was doing a lousy job of it. Escaping to her office, she shut her door defiantly and actually locked it. Anyone who wanted to see her could knock. She plunged into paper work awkwardly, considering it was her right arm that was broken. It was inconvenient, but was managing things just fine. She lost track of time, concentrating so much, that she was actually startled by the knock on her door. She glanced at the clock and seen that it was lunch time already. She got up and stretched, asking who was it as she walked towards the door.

"JJ, it's me. Can I come in?" she heard Dave's voice.

"Just a sec." JJ answered, flipping the lock switch, and opening the door up.

"Is there a reason you're locking the world out of your office?" Dave asked her, concern filling his face.

"Just needed some time to myself, Dave. Get caught up. God knows I've had enough time off. Again." JJ shook her head, almost disgusted with herself.

"Sweetheart, you were in an accident. It's not like you called in sick for no reason. You were in a flipping hospital three days ago, so I'd say you're doing pretty well to be sitting here at work, doing your job."

"Dave, that's not the point. The point is, I'm good at my job. And now, because I can't seem to do anything but get hurt lately, it's screwing me up. I'm not doing my job as well as I used to. And I don't like that." JJ answered him, feeling emotions welling up within her.

"Jen, you need to give yourself a break. No one is faulting you for anything that has happened." Dave reasoned with her, pulling her in for a hug.

"You have to say that. You're going to marry me." JJ gave a small smile, allowing herself to be pulled into Dave's arms.

"Well, even if I weren't marrying you, I'd still be telling you this. You do a damn good job, JJ. You're great at what you do. And don't ever think you're not." He kissed the top of her head.

"I still maintain you have to say that. But I love that you're saying it." JJ relaxed for the first time that day.

Dave smiled, "I came to ask if you wanted to go to lunch. You need to eat something." He fussed over her.

"Sure, just let me grab my purse." Dave helped her on with her jacket, draping it over her shoulders, before the two of them headed out.

That's how thing remained the rest of the day. Although JJ had relaxed somewhat at lunch, she'd holed up in her office again when they got back. Everybody except Dave seemed to respect her signal that she wanted to be alone. He kept checking up on her, almost afraid she'd disappear or evaporate. He was fussing over her like a mother hen. When he did manage to stay in his office, he sat thinking of her, worried about her. It came to him as he sat there pondering the current state of their relationship, that

he would like to surprise her, in much the same way she'd surprised him with her proposal of marriage.

Even given the events of the last few days, the pregnancy scare, the car accident, out of all this, he was more certain than ever he wanted her for his wife. He also realized it was one more stress in her life that she could do without, planning the wedding. It was as he was sitting there that Dave decided to take their wedding happen as soon as possible. He felt like there was no reason to wait, it was going to happen eventually, why not as soon as he could make it happen? It would be small, intimate, just close friends and family, and if he had his way, it would be as soon as possible. And he knew one person who could make it happen in no time. Smiling, Dave stood up, and made his way to one Penelope Garcia's office.

Knocking on her door, hearing Penelope's sing-song voice which seemed to indicate she was at least in a good mood, Dave entered her lair. As long as he'd known her, he was still surprised at the way she managed to decorate her office and herself as to whatever was fitting the occasion. At this point, it was gaily decorated for Christmas. It was still three weeks away, but her office was festooned with decorations and lights, worthy of any Christmas display.

"What can I do for you today, Agent Rossi?" Garcia asked him somewhat formally.

"Garcia, I'm here for a personal favor. I really need your help." Dave pleaded with her.

Penelope had been somewhat put out, as JJ had been so secretive about the accident, and she'd felt left out of the loop. Hearing that Rossi wanted a personal favor peaked her interest, however.

"Hm, you may ask, but I may not agree to any schemes of yours." she answered him.

"Garcia, what I'm asking you to do is a huge, huge favor. I know how good you are at planning things, and I need your help in the worst way." Dave begged her.

"Keep talking. What exactly do you need me to plan?" Garcia asked, curious.

"I need you to plan JJ's and my wedding. I need you to do it as soon as possible, and as quietly as possible. I don't want JJ to know until you somehow convince her to put on her wedding gown and walk down the aisle."

Garcia sat there, shocked. After all the resistance to her wedding planning earlier, Rossi now wanted her to plan JJ and his wedding? And to do it without JJ finding out? Was the man suicidal?

"Say something, Garcia! Do you think you can do this?" Dave asked desperately.

"Honey, I know I can do this. It's facing the wrath of JJ when she realizes you and I went behind her back to plan her wedding. I would like to live to see another day, and my life may end when she realizes I collaborated with you to do this."

"Money's no object, Garcia. Here's the location I want you to book. Mention my name, huge personal favor, I just need it to be that place we get married. If you can get it done, I can get JJ to lay off of you, and you will live to see another day." Dave said, hoping against hope he could convince Garcia to help.

"Why do you want to push the wedding up so far? And why does it have to be a secret from JJ?" Garcia questioned him.

"It's a matter of taking some of the stress out of JJ's life. She's on edge right now, and I figured we're going to be married anyway, why not do it, and as soon as possible. As for being a secret, JJ so needs to be in control of everything right now, she just needs to learn to let go." Dave answered.

"So, if we get her to where ever I can get you two married, what makes you think she'll walk down the aisle once she realizes what we've done?" she questioned him some more.

"I have faith in you above all others, Garcia. If anyone can convince JJ to walk down that aisle, it will be you." Dave tried flattery.

"Listen, give me a time frame here. If I'm having to plan this, I need to know when you're thinking of." Garcia's mind was already whirring, thinking of who she could call in favors on to make this happen.

"Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day. That gives you three weeks. Do you think you can do it?" Dave challenged her.

"Sweetie, I can do anything. However, be prepared for the wrath of JJ when she realizes what you've done. Nothing I can do on my computers will be able to save you from her, if she doesn't like what's happening."

"Garcia, I'll take my chances with her. And if it helps you any, even a murderous JJ would be preferable to not having JJ in my life at all." With that, he stood up, getting ready to leave.

"Sir, if it makes any difference, anyone can see how much you love her. You take care of her, she loves you more than you'll ever know." Garcia said quietly.

"I'm lucky she's agreed to be in my life. And Garcia, thanks for doing this. I really appreciate it." With that, he walked out the door.


	44. Chapter 44

"David Rossi, you're an idiot. I just want you to know that." Penelope Garcia ground out.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit in the middle of the day, when my bride to be is right down the hall in her office, and could see you at any time?" Rossi took the insult surprisingly well.

"Well, in case the fact escapes you, you need a little thing called a marriage license, filled out by both of you, you know, to actually MAKE YOUR MARRIAGE LEGAL!" she practically screeched.

"Garcia, calm down! I don't want JJ to hear you!" Rossi pleaded.

"I have everything prepared, Rossi. Every last single detail. I did this in record time, everything is beautifully prepared. And then it hit me. None of this is legal without the frigging marriage license. Now, everything else you may be able to put around JJ, but what about that? Did you even think of that?" Garcia continued on.

"Garcia, it's okay. I kind of hinted to JJ I wanted to get married around Valentine's Day. I've convinced her to get the license now, it's valid for sixty days. One less thing for her to worry about. We're actually going tomorrow to get it. It's okay. Geez, you're worse than JJ!" Rossi sighed.

"Well, why didn't you say so! I've been going out of my mind. Do you know how hard it was to get her wedding dress finished up and ready to go now? Do you know how hard it's been to keep a secret from my best friend?" an exasperated Garcia said.

"Believe me, I know, Garcia, I know. I really think she suspects something, she knows I'm not telling her something, and I'm afraid she will freak out once she realizes what we've been up to."

"You couldn't have thought of this before you decided to spring this surprise on her? She really is going to kill you, hopefully it will be quick and painless for you." Garcia said, as she turned to walk out of Rossi's office.

Rossi sat there, regarding the departing Penelope Garcia's final words. Yes, possibly JJ was going to kill him. She didn't seem to take surprises well at all. So, why exactly was he pressing on with this? The only answer he had was the fact that he wanted to make JJ happy. Things had been rough the last few months, that was for certain. And the fact that he wanted to make her his wife after all this was what motivated him. JJ had survived, was stronger stuff than most people gave her credit for. It made him love her all the more, and the fact that she put up with him and his doubts and insecurities warmed him more than she would ever know.

Sighing, he got up from his desk. Looking out the window of his office, he contemplated the fact that in two days, with maybe a little bit of luck, he would be a married man. Not that he hadn't done it before, but this time, he figured he'd finally got it right, with the right woman. She already didn't take his crap, they had a healthy sex life, and they loved each other. He'd hit the trifecta with JJ. The fact that she was gorgeous too, certainly didn't hurt at all.

Checking his messages, he decided to make one last phone call. So far, between Garcia and him, they had only their closest friends attending the wedding. Of course, they didn't know it was a wedding, they thought it was a Christmas Eve party. It wasn't long before the call went through, and he heard a cheery "hello" on the other end.

"Charlie, it's Dave. Just wanted to make sure my little package is ready. I'm stopping by after work tonight, and was hoping you were finished."

"Of course, Dave, of course. The engraving is done, the necklace is polished, it's ready for you to give to your betrothed." Dave could almost see the little man smiling on the other end of the phone.

"Thank you, Charlie. I always know that I can count on you. See you then." Dave hung up, delighted that everything seemed to be falling into place. He really didn't want anything to go wrong, but realized that the way things seemed to happen between him and JJ, he'd seem to come to expect it. Just once, he wanted things to go off without a hitch. In fact, he prayed for it this time.

The object of his thoughts suddenly knocked on his door. Looking up, he smiled at her.

"Got a minute?" JJ asked him.

"Always for you, you know that." he replied.

She smiled, her eyes dancing. "Garcia wants to go out tonight, just us girls. Do you think you can look after Henry?"

"JJ, you know I can. Go, have fun. Us men will hold down the fort." he smiled back at her.

"I have no idea what's gotten in to Penelope. She says we need a hen night, but I have no idea why. She's been acting really strange lately." JJ said.

"Well, I know you haven't spent a lot of time together lately. Maybe she just wants to have some fun. Go ahead and have some fun. Henry and me will be fine."

"Oh, I know that. It's just so close to Christmas, I didn't want you to think I was skipping out on you."

"Not a chance, JJ. In fact, maybe the two of us will do a little last minute Christmas shopping for mommy."

"Well, you may need to help Henry pick it out. He's still having a little trouble finding just the right thing for mommy."

"I'll have you know that young Henry happens to have excellent taste in things. And with me along, we'll find something just perfect for mommy." Dave joked with her.

JJ smiled broadly again, "Well, we'll have lunch in a couple of hours, considering I won't see you for awhile tonight. And I do love to spend time with you."

"Lunch it is, my treat. See you then, JJ." Dave returned to work, but not before watching JJ leave. Once again, he thought to himself, he was a damn lucky man to have her in his life. And for that, he'd be forever grateful.


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N**

**I'm so, so sorry it took so long to get back to this work. Health problems got the better of me, and I was hospitalized. Recovery took longer than anticipated, but I'm back to keep going. Thanks so much to those who have been reading, I really appreciate it. It means a lot that you've stuck with this story, and I sincerely apologize for how long this has been since my last update. **

All the fears that JJ would freak out about the surprise wedding had been unfounded. In fact, JJ had taken it surprisingly well, as if a huge weight had suddenly been lifted off of her shoulders. When they'd pulled up to where they'd had their first date, where she'd proposed to him, on Christmas Eve, she'd been somewhat surprised, not expecting to visit there. Still, she'd gamely taken Dave's hand, walking up the steps of the museum, knowing full well it must look beautiful in there, considering it was Christmas. What she didn't expect was a room full of her friends and family, standing there. The place had been beautifully decorated, almost as if for a wedding, and that's when she'd stopped in her tracks, turned around and looked at Dave. He'd been watching her with his dark eyes, and right then, she knew what he'd had planned.

"You have something you want to let me in on, Dave?" JJ had whispered to him.

"Well, JJ, there is something I'd like to see if you'd want to do tonight." Dave replied.

"And that would be?" her breath hitched a little, knowing what he was going to say.

"Jennifer, you know I love you more than anything in this world. And I don't want to wait til Valentine's day to get married. I want you to become my wife now, tonight. I'm ready for this, more ready then I've ever been. So, would you be my bride tonight?" he'd asked, gripping her hand.

JJ looked at him, seeing all the love that she'd never thought she'd ever have. He was delusional if he'd ever thought she'd say no, but she had to play him a bit, see if he was as ready as he seemed to think he was "I don't have a dress, or anything. I'm not ready, Dave. I want to marry you, but I always thought I'd at least have a gown on."

"No worries, sweetheart. Garcia has that taken care of, your dress is here, ready and waiting for you to put on." he smiled at her.

"Wow, you must really be serious about this, if you got Garcia to help you. What can I say in light of that?"

"You can say yes." he said, pulling her closer.

"Yes, Dave, I'll get married tonight." With that, she pressed her lips to his, agreeing to the wedding surprisingly quickly and without the battle he'd expected.

"Before I announce this to the guests, I do have a gift for you. Henry and I picked it out the other night, when you were out with Garcia." Dave slipped his hand into his pocket, retrieving a small, neatly wrapped box. He handed it to her, waiting to see her reaction.

JJ looked at the box, before taking the ribbon and paper off. Opening it up, she was struck by the beautiful locket that lay within. Turning it over, she read the inscription. _You own my heart Jennifer_, was inscribed on it. Opening it, she seen a small family picture of Dave, Henry and herself, a candid that Garcia had managed to take one day.

"It's beautiful, Dave. Thank you so much."

"You are my family now, JJ. And that is something I want for the rest of my life. I love you and Henry. You're my life."

JJ wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in to a hug. She didn't know what she'd done to deserve him, but felt like the luckiest girl that he loved her so much.

"Let's get married, Dave. I'm ready." she smiled.

"Then I guess we should let the guests in on it, most of them think they're just here for a Christmas party." he smiled at her.

"So, I'm not the only one who didn't know this was a wedding, then?" JJ smiled at him.

"No, I can't say that you are. This will be just as big a surprise to them as it was to you."

"Well, you are the master of surprises then. Do you know how much I love you, Dave?"

"As much as I love you, sweetheart, as much as I love you. Now, shall we at least let the guests in on this?"

Taking her hand, Dave lead JJ to the center of the room.

"Excuse me, everyone, excuse me." he shouted loudly. The room became silent, the guests staring at the couple who'd commanded their attention.

"As you know, JJ and I have been engaged for awhile. What you don't know is, this just isn't a Christmas party. This is our wedding day. Now, this was just as big a surprise for JJ as it was for you, but you are the people that we wanted to share this day with." he glanced around the room, picking out the faces of their friends and coworkers. "If you would give JJ some time to get ready, she's about to make an old man happy and become is wife."

Seeing Garcia staring at them, already tearing up, Dave surrendered his grip on JJ's hand. "Penelope has everything ready. Go with her, get ready."

"Are you sure, Dave? This is your chance to escape."

"Honey, I'm not going anywhere. Next time you see me, I'll be the one waiting to put a ring on your finger up here. Don't keep me waiting."

With a final kiss, he let her go, before being surrounded by his friends, each eager to shake his hand and wish him the best. For a man who'd been alone for so long, not relying on anyone but himself, the feeling of being a part of a family was a strange sensation. And he found that he would not trade that feeling for anything in the world.


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N Okay, this chapter is totally sappy. Sorry about that, lol. **

JJ looked into the mirror, surprised at how she looked in her wedding dress. It fit perfectly. She couldn't believe that she was getting married, here and now. The nervousness and irritability she had been feeling the last few weeks seemed to have dissipated , and as she thought of the man waiting out in the other room, with all their friends, she was more ready now than ever to marry him. She turned around when she heard a knock on the door, and heard Garcia's voice asking if she could come in. JJ smiled and told her to come on in.

In Garcia's arms was Henry. He was in a tiny suit, with a tiny flower pinned to it. In a word, he looked adorable, and JJ started to tear up. This was more than she could have hoped for.

" He looks so perfect in that suit! You really are the best, Penelope!" JJ threw her arms around her friend and her son, unbelieving of how much Penelope had thrown together to make this day perfect.

"Sweetie, you just enjoy this. I think I've done more planning for your wedding than I'll do for my own someday. Just remember, you have to return the favour, helping me plan for mine!"

"Well, I'm sure I'm not quite as organized as you, but I promise. When you get married, I'll be there for you too. Just one more thing. Will you be my maid of honour? I would love for you to." JJ smiled.

Garcia didn't tear up often, but at this she did. "I would love to be, JJ. Thank you for asking."

The two friends hugged again, before breaking apart.

"So, are you ready? There is a very nervous man waiting out there. Shall you relieve some of his anxiety?" Garcia laughed.

"I don't know why he's so nervous. It's not like it's the first time he's gotten married. You would think he'd be used to all this by now." JJ fretted.

"True, but I do think that this may be the first time he's marrying someone he loves truly. And I think that's what scares him."

JJ took in her words, before shaking her head in agreement. "I do think you may be right. But I'll tell you this, this is the only time I'm getting married. I don't think I could love anyone else like I do him."

"Well, shall we get the suspense over with, and make you a married woman?"

"Let's do it.

JJ picked up her bouquet, as Garcia opened the door. Penelope told JJ to wait in the hall, while she went ahead to prepare the arrival of the bride. JJ smiled, her friend was as organized as ever. It didn't take long for Garcia to return, and JJ realized she heard a hush had come over the place, and knew it was time. Swallowing any last fears she may have had, she followed Garcia out of the hallway, into the larger room. From somewhere, she heard music start, and watched as Garcia walked up the aisle, holding Henry. Now, she realized, it was her turn.

Not hesitating, but not rushing either, JJ started up the makeshift aisle. She concentrated on the man at the end of the aisle, her attention not wavering from him. She smiled, seeing that he was just as nervous as Garcia said he was. For some reason, that tickled her, that she could make him nervous. Seeing her smile, David smiled back at her. It took all she had not to rush up the aisle towards him. Finally she arrived, taking his hand. They smiled at one another again, and he whispered "You look gorgeous."

The next few moments were a blur for JJ. She knew she recited vows, she vaguely recalled hearing Dave saying them, but all she could think of was that after all they'd been through, they were still together. At that, she started to tear up. She never wanted to lose this, what she had with him. He took her hand again in his, and slipped a ring on her finger. Another few moments, and the only thing she could remember was being pronounced husband and wife, and being able to kiss him. Which she did, gladly. Turning to the crowd, the officiant announced them as Mr. And Mrs. David and Jennifer Rossi, and the guests started to clap.

Guests came up to them, offering their congratulations. JJ smiled when she seen Reid and Morgan, both of whom enveloped her in a hug.

Morgan, being his usual self, said to JJ, "Listen, do you want me to have a talk to him? I mean, if he doesn't treat you right, he knows I'll hurt him, right?"

JJ smiled, knowing that Derek was joking. "I'm sure we'll be fine, but it probably wouldn't hurt to give him a little warning." she teased back.

"I'll have a little man-to-man talk with him a little later then." Hugging her tightly, he felt like JJ's big brother, wanting to look out for her. "And I'm not joking. He better treat you right."

JJ smiled even more at that, the team really was like a family to her.

Reid was next, hugging JJ again. "You look beautiful, JJ. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Spencer. I'm so glad you're here. I thought you'd be in Vegas, it being Christmas and all."

"Well, I'm heading out later. Garcia convinced me to stay, said I couldn't miss this party for the world, and if I did, I'd regret it for the rest of my days. She'd make sure of it."

JJ laughed, "I'm sure she would. She knows more ways of doing that than I can count."

"Don't I know it. Still, she's right. I wouldn't have missed this for anything."

JJ just hugged him again. She truly did love him as a little brother. "Your the best, Spence, you really are."

As more guests came up to offer congratulations, it was just a whirl of noise for JJ. The evening flew by, a mix of partying, picture-taking and fun. The evening wound down, and before long, Dave announced to everyone that his wife and he were heading out on their honeymoon. JJ still had no idea where, another thing he'd kept a surprise for her. As they made their goodbyes, JJ was more than a little relieved, as she felt exhausted. Happy but exhausted. And wherever he'd chosen for them was going to be a surprise she enjoyed.


End file.
